Cupid's Arrows
by xMorbidxAngelx
Summary: Cupid Kills Some With Arrows, Some With Traps." - Shakespeare. -Sesh/Rin-
1. Chapter 1

**AN****: **I probably shouldn't start a new story when I've got so many unfinished, but I got an idea for this one from an advert for a show on tv. Not quite sure how it's going to turn out just yet, but bear with me for now. Let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions. Apologies in advance for any bad spelling or grammar in this chapter ^_^

**Chapter 1**

The front doors of a large building opened and a seemingly never ending stream of children poured through the doors into the play area outside. Several adults walked out behind the children and smiled as they watched several children ran to the swings and climbing frames. While some children played, others ran through the open gates to where their parents waited with smiles and open arms. An hour passed and only a few children were left in the grounds. The group of adults who were outside initially had dwindled in number until only two sat on the bench beside the open doors in the late afternoon sunlight.

The quiet afternoon was interrupted when a lone figure walked through the gates and towards the two women on the bench. His approaching form caused them to giggle girlishly and blush madly as he directed his unwavering gaze at them. He came to a stop in front of them and looked them up and down in silent distaste.

"Where's Taiki?" he asked in a deep voice.

"Taiki Takahashi?" one of the women asked. He nodded. "He's inside; I'll get him for you."

The man nodded and moved away from the one remaining woman who sat on the bench. Looking out over the play area, he saw that there was only one child left and she sat on the swings, rocking gently back and forth with a book open on her lap, eyes intent on the text. He smirked as he watched the girl and remembered his own childhood which he spent secluded and buried in books. Still lost in his own memories, he watched as the little girl raised her head as a car pulled up to the gate. A smile spread across her face as a woman got out of the car and walked through the gates. She dropped her bag and book on the ground as she got to her feet and raced towards the slim woman.

The woman was dressed in a business suit which would explain why she was late picking the child up. Her dark hair was pulled back into a bun at the nape of her neck and her heels clicked along the surface of the pavement as she walked through the gates. Seeing the figure running towards her, she leaned forwards and opened her arms with a broad smile. The little girl ran straight towards the woman and flung herself in her waiting arms, wrapping her own small arms around her neck.

After a moment, the girl pulled away and the man could hear her talking excitedly about her day. Although he would never admit it, he was warmed by such an obvious display of affection for one another. His amber eyes followed the pair as they walked over to the swing where the child had left her bag. However, moments later, his attention was caught when he heard a joyous shout from the school's entrance. A little boy with silver hair and amber eyes to match his own raced towards him.

"Uncle Sesshoumaru!" the boy said excitedly.

Sesshoumaru bent over to pick the small boy up as he made his way to the gate, but didn't say anything. The boy, obviously used to his uncle's silences, wrapped his arms around his neck and settled himself comfortably in his arms as they moved across the play area. Looking around, Taiki's gaze fell on his one remaining classmate who was also walking towards the gate. He tugged gently at his uncle's hair.

"What is it?" Sesshoumaru asked as he stopped in his tracks.

"Can I say good bye to my friend?"

Nodding, Sesshoumaru put the boy down and watched in amusement as he ran towards the little girl on the other side of the play area. The two females stopped as the boy approached and the woman stepped back to lean against the low wall nearby as the two children conversed happily. Sesshoumaru approached soon after and nodded as the woman smiled a greeting.

"Still so much to talk about after spending the whole day together," she said in a quiet, almost musical voice which carried undertones of amusement.

He nodded. "He should have been outside keeping her company."

The woman laughed melodiously and lifted the child's open bag to reveal several books. "Akiko is far to involved in her books."

"That is a good thing."

"It is." There was a pause as the two adults watched the children. The woman turned to look at Sesshoumaru with a vague smile and nodded towards Taiki. "Your son?"

He shook his head. "Nephew."

"He looks so much like you!"

"So does my brother unfortunately." The woman laughed again and Sesshoumaru looked towards the girl. "Your daughter?"

The woman nodded and smiled broadly as she looked at the little girl. "Yeah." There was another pause in conversation before she spoke again. "I'm Rin Nakamura, by the way."

"Sesshoumaru Takahashi," he said and extended a hand which she shook in a firm, yet gentle grasp.

Rin nodded and looked down when she felt a tugging at her hand. She knelt down to look at the girl. "Are you ready to go?"

Akiko nodded with a shy look up at Sesshoumaru as Rin stood up and picked up the child's bag. Taking the child's hand in her own, Rin smiled up at the taller man beside her.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Sesshoumaru. Perhaps we'll meet again sometime," she said with a smile.

"Perhaps," was all Sesshoumaru could think of saying as he stood transfixed by her radiant smile.

He stood beside Taiki as he watched the two females walk away towards a car. Sesshoumaru couldn't help but admire her figure as she bent over to secure the child into one of the back seats of the car. As she stepped back and closed the door, she looked back over at them and waved before slipping into the car and driving away. Sighing softly, he led Taiki towards the car and repeated all the actions he had seen Rin do only moments before. As they drove away from the school, Sesshoumaru decided that maybe volunteering to pick his nephew up from school wasn't such a bad thing after all. ­­­


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Inuyasha was baffled when his brother started offering to pick Taiki up from school. It was most unusual for Sesshoumaru to volunteer to do anything let alone something that involved human interaction. Kagome, though equally baffled, had encouraged the somewhat strange behaviour of her brother-in-law. Taiki hero worshipped his uncle although the pride that he had inherited from his father prevented him from admitting it. Similarly, Sesshoumaru was more attached to his nephew than he would ever admit.

In the weeks and months that followed Sesshoumaru's first encounter with Rin, he volunteered to pick Taiki up several times in an attempt to see her again. Unfortunately for him, his first few attempts had ended in failure. The first time he had arrived too early, the second too late and the third attempt nearly discouraged him entirely. He carefully planned the collection time so that he was not as early or as late as before and he had waited patiently outside the school for Taiki as he had done every other time.

Sesshoumaru looked around the play area and located Rin's daughter Akiko seated once again on the swing with a book open on her lap. A car pulled up outside the gates and he held his breath as he waited to see Rin emerge from the car in all her beauty. However, he was disappointed when he saw a man in a suit step out instead. Quickly he scanned the play area searching for another child, but there was only Akiko. Said child picked up her bag and ran towards the man with a smile when she saw him. She dropped her bag when the man reached down to pick her up and wrapped her arms around his neck affectionately.

He heaved a sigh a disappointment as he watched them walk away. As he drove Taiki home, his mind was preoccupied with the scene he had witnessed earlier. Upon seeing Akiko seated in her usual swing, he had been confident he would see Rin again, but his heart sank when the child had run into the arms of the unknown male. Sighing yet again, he contemplated giving up on seeing her again, but decided that perhaps he should try once more before conceding defeat.

*-*-*-*-*-*

Weeks after that incident, Sesshoumaru stood outside the school waiting for Taiki once again when a car pulled up beside the gate. He tried not to get his hopes up, but his heart started to pound when a pair of feminine legs slipped out of the car and an equally feminine body followed. The figure turned and his intense amber gaze met Rin's. She closed and locked the door before walking over to him with a smile, completely unaware of the effect she had on him.

"Hello Sesshoumaru!" she greeted with a smile. He nodded a greeting and tried to tear his gaze from her. She turned away and looked around the play area, frowning when she didn't see Akiko in her usual place. "Have you seen Akiko?"

He shook his head. "Perhaps she's inside?"

Rin looked at the school doors and nodded, her face breaking into a smile when she saw two small figures walking towards them, holding hands as they talked happily. She nudged Sesshoumaru's arm and gestured towards the tiny pair slowly making their way across the play area. She sighed and leaned back against the wall beside Sesshoumaru and smiled again.

"It's cute, don't you think?"

He nodded, suddenly very aware of the woman beside him as her arm brushed against his. Sesshoumaru opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by the loud voice of his nephew calling him. He looked down to find Taiki standing in front of him with Akiko beside him, looking up shyly.

"Can Aki and I go to the park, uncle Sesshoumaru?" he begged. "Please?"

Sesshoumaru looked across at Rin who smiled and nodded. "Sure."

The two children ran down the pavement slightly ahead of the two adults following close behind. As they turned a corner, Sesshoumaru realised that he had agreed, but didn't know where said park was. He looked over at Rin who walked confidently, clearly knowing where she was going. She looked at him and flashed him one of her dazzling smiles.

"It's around the corner," she said as though she had read his thoughts.

He nodded and soon enough, the green grass of the park came into view and the children ran to the play area leaving the adults to sit on the benches nearby. Sesshoumaru sat down on a bench and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he watched Taiki play. Rin sat beside him and elegantly crossed her legs, unaware of the tempting view she was giving Sesshoumaru. There was silence for a while as Sesshoumaru carefully watched her, taking in her beauty and while she watched the two children.

"Do you have children, Sesshoumaru?" she asked suddenly.

He shook his head. "I'm not married."

Rin nodded and was silent once again. As soon as the words had left his mouth, a thought had occurred to him. Perhaps the man who came to pick up Akiko had been her father? That man would have to be Rin's husband. His heart sank at the thought of finding such a beautiful woman who captured his full attention effortlessly only to find that she belonged to another. He was brought out of his increasingly depressing thoughts by Rin's soft voice.

"You don't have to be married to have children, you know," she said with a smile.

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. "I would have thought that having another in your life made the conception a lot easier."

Rin laughed and grinned at him. "That's not what I mean, although you are right."

"What did you mean?"

"Being a single parent isn't a bad thing."

He nodded and looked back at the two children. "You're a single parent?" he questioned, trying to keep hope from his voice.

"Always have been."

Sesshoumaru frowned at the revelation. "Has she never known her father?"

"I don't know who her father is," Rin admitted. She paused as she realised how that statement sounded. Looking at Sesshoumaru, she blushed slightly when she met his eyes. "She's adopted."

"I see." His amber gaze was drawn to the little girl playing with his nephew. "How did you come to choose her?"

Rin's eyes glazed over as she remembered the day she had adopted Akiko. "She chose me really." Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrow in question. "She was very young, about a year old, when I adopted her. I was sitting in a room looking through files about the different children when she wandered in and sat with me. Needless to say, I fell in love with her straight away."

Sesshoumaru nodded and tore his gaze from her smiling face to look at the child in question again. The little girl bent over and picked a small flower and then another one with a big smile. Once again, he felt his heart warmed by the small child. His attention was captured by Rin's soft laughter beside him.

"She loves flowers. She has her own section in the garden at home."

As the words left her mouth, the little girl stood up and ran towards the two adults. She slowed to a walk and stopped just in front of them. A grin crossed her face as she held out one of the yellow flowers to Rin. Sesshoumaru watched as Rin leaned forward to accept the flower and press a kiss on the child's forehead. While he was wondering what Rin's lips felt like, Akiko had moved and now stood in front of him. Looking down he felt a small smile tug at his lips. Seeing his smile, Akiko's confidence grew and she held out a flower in a small hand. He reached forward to accept the flower and as he leaned back, he tucked the flower into the button hole of his suit jacket. With a smile of glee, the little girl turned and ran back to where Taiki was waiting for her.

Rin smiled as she watched Sesshoumaru adjust the flower. "It suits you," she teased.

Raising his head to look at her, Sesshoumaru smirked at her. "Akiko has good taste."

"She should, she's around plants often enough."

"What do you do, Rin?" he asked, suddenly realising that he knew nothing about her.

"I'm a botanist," she replied with a smile. "I run a florist in the town centre."

"That's where she gets her love of plants from then."

"What do you do?"

"I run a family business – Takahashi Technologies."

Rin's eyes widened. "Wow…" she said softly as she realised just who he was.

She couldn't believe her ears. The man sitting beside her was one of the most powerful and wealthy men in the city. He ran one of the biggest companies in the country. Rin knew she had recognised his surname from somewhere but couldn't remember where and now all the pieces fell into place. She had just spent most of the afternoon with one of the most sought after bachelors in the city. Looking at him from the corner of her eye, she marvelled at how gentle he was with Taiki and how he had accepted the flower Akiko had given him with a vague smile. He was said to be ruthless in his business dealings, but here he had, perhaps unconsciously, shown a gentle side of him to a virtual stranger.

*-*-*-*-*-

An hour later, as the sun began to set, Rin stretched her arms and sighed as she looked at her watch. "It's nearly 5 o'clock!" she gasped.

Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrow. "I should return Taiki to his parents," he said quietly and as he watched the child play, he had no desire to disturb him or the time he had spent with Rin.

It was as though the child could read his thoughts; Taiki came running towards them with Akiko in tow. He stopped in front of the two adults, panting from the exertion. Beaming up at the pair, the child suddenly wondered if what he was about to say would upset his uncle. Raising his eyes, Taiki met his uncle's curious gaze, silently asking what he wanted. He grinned and launched himself at Sesshoumaru, who caught him easily and sat the child on his knee as he patiently waited for whatever question he knew the child was going to ask.

"Could Aki and I play again tomorrow?" he asked, looking expectantly from his uncle to the woman beside him.

"You should ask her mother, Taiki," Sesshoumaru replied, his normally deep voice lowered as he spoke gently to the child.

Taiki turned to Rin and smiled. "Can we?"

"Of course you can, but you must ask your parents as well."

Beaming the child leapt from his uncles arms and wrapped his own small ones firmly around Rin's neck in a gesture of childish happiness. After getting over the initial shock of the action, Rin wrapped an arm around him to return the gesture. The child climbed down from the bench and left with Akiko to pick up the toys they had left in the play area. Sesshoumaru turned to Rin and silently looked her over.

"I apologise for Taiki's behaviour," he said sincerely.

"Don't worry about it," she laughed. "We need to make some arrangements though if the children are going to play tomorrow."

"What did you have in mind?"

Rin sighed slightly and looked away thoughtfully, her lips pursed as she thought. Sesshoumaru watched her and had an almost irresistible urge to kiss her as she pursed her lips. Fighting to regain control of himself he turned back to the woman beside him as she began to speak.

"I have a meeting tomorrow morning unfortunately so we'll have to arrange something around that," she said with a frown.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "I'm sure they could play after that."

"The meeting is to end by 11am," she murmured. "It would be easier to bring lunch and let them play here for the day."

"It would."

"Will you be bringing Taiki?" she asked and Sesshoumaru thought he was imagining the faint sound of hopefulness in her tone.

"Possibly. It depends what his parents say."

Rin nodded. She wanted to see Sesshoumaru again and had to admit that she enjoyed his company seeing as she didn't know any other of the parents or relatives from the school. "Here's my number," she said quickly as she pulled out a small card from her purse and handed it to him. "Let me know what they say."

Sesshoumaru nodded and took the card, glancing down at it briefly before tucking it safely away in an inside pocket of his jacket. He noticed Rin had risen to her feet and followed suit and soon the two children were at their sides. Rin smiled as she watched him lift Taiki into his arms. She took Akiko's hand in her own and the four of them began walking back to their cars. Once the children were settled in the cars, Rin walked over to where Sesshoumaru stood, struggling to fasten the clasp on Taiki's seat belt.

"Let me do it," she said gently and reached over his arms to untangle the belt and easily slip the clasp shut.

"Thank you," he said quietly as he closed the door and turned to her.

She nodded with a smile. "It was nice to see you again, Sesshoumaru."

"You too."

"Perhaps it won't be so long until we meet again," she said with a grin. "See you soon."

She turned and walked back to her car, slipping gracefully into the driver's seat. Smiling at him one last time, she waved before driving away. Sesshoumaru watched the car disappear and sighed as he slipped into his own car. He hoped that would be the one to be with Taiki tomorrow, but as it was a Saturday, he knew his chances were slim.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** Thank you to everyone who has reviewed the last two chapters ^.^

**Chapter 3**

Much to Sesshoumaru's displeasure, Inuyasha and Kagome had decided to meet this new friend of Taiki's and decided that they would go with him. With a sigh, he had copied down Rin's number and given it to them before attempting to leave to go home and wallow in his misery, but Kagome had other ideas.

"Are you working tomorrow, Sesshoumaru?" she had asked as she collected the plates from dinner.

"No."

"Oh good," she said happily as she came back to the table to collect the remaining cutlery. "Would you like to come with us to the park tomorrow?"

His eyes widened. He had definitely not expected to be invited along. "Sure."

Kagome smiled happily at him before disappearing from the room. Smiling inwardly, he picked up his jacket and went to say goodbye to his brother and nephew as he relished the fact that he would see Rin again so soon.

The next day was bright and sunny, although there was a chill in the wind. It was only 10am and Sesshoumaru was ready to leave at a moment's notice. He was dressed in a pair of black jeans and a white button up shirt. His coat hung over the back of the chair so he could pick it up on his way to the door. After much pacing, he sighed and glanced at the clock, only half an hour had passed. He dropped into a chair nearby and decided to go through his mail to try and distract himself.

After what seemed like hours later, Sesshoumaru rose to his feet and picked up his jacket as he made his way to the door. He sighed in satisfaction as he drove through the streets toward the park. Seeing a small shop, he decided to stop and went inside only to emerge five minutes later clutching a small plastic yellow flower and a bag of sweets. He arrived outside the school and recognised Inuyasha's red car parked beside Rin's dark blue one.

Seeing no one around, he slipped his black jacket on and picked up the small bag he had put his purchases in and began walking towards the park. As he approached, he saw several families seated on blankets and benches around the park as the children played. Stopping to scan the area for his brother's family, his attention was caught by a nearby group when a voice called his name.

"You came!" he saw Kagome walking towards him. "We were worried you had changed your mind."

He shook his head as he looked around.

"I was just coming to see if you had arrived. Let's go back to the others, Taiki will be so pleased."

Kagome slipped her hand through his arm and guided him through the park to a small group of people sitting on a bright red blanket. She looked up at him and smiled as he looked down at her curiously.

"Look who's here, Taiki!" she called as they approached.

The boy looked up from the card game he was playing with his father and Akiko and grinned. "Uncle Sesshoumaru!"

"So you finally came, eh?" Inuyasha asked with a grin, his white hair startlingly bright against his black shirt.

Nodding, Sesshoumaru approached and Kagome let go of his arm in favour of sitting beside her husband. He sat down on the edge of the blanket and nodded a greeting to Rin who smiled at him from where she sat behind Akiko. He caught his breath at the sight of her. After spending the morning counting down the hours with an image of her in his mind, he found that the real Rin sitting before him was much more captivating. She wore a pale purple t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans, but her hair hung loose down her back. It looked soft as satin and his fingers itched to run his fingers through it.

"What's in the bag, uncle Sesshoumaru?" Taiki asked.

Remembering his gifts, he beckoned the two children over while the adults watched on. He pulled out the small bag of sweets and gave them to Taiki before turning to look at the little girl who looked at him shyly from a safe distance. Smiling at her slightly, he watched her smile back and come closer when he beckoned her. The little girl's dark hair had been tied up in a pony tail with a bright yellow ribbon and he guessed that yellow was her favourite colour. Sesshoumaru reached into the bag and pulled out the small flower and watched in satisfaction as her eyes lit up in delight. Putting the bag down, he leaned forward and put the flower in her hair.

From where they sat on the other side of the blanket, Inuyasha and Kagome watched on in fascination as the normally stoic elder Takahashi showed an unexpected gentleness with the small girl. Rin smiled as she watched his long fingers securing the flower into her daughter's hair. The little girl smiled broadly at him and whispered a "thank you" before running over to where her mother sat to show her the gift she had been given.

"That was very thoughtful of you, Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha said to him a while later as the two women walked away to play with the children. He narrowed his eyes at his brother. "That's unusual."

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "I couldn't bring something for Taiki and not Akiko."

"True," Inuyasha conceded, his brother's logic was sound. "How did you meet Rin?"

"When she picked up Akiko a few weeks ago," Sesshoumaru responded, desperately trying to find a new topic of conversation.

Inuyasha's eyes widened suddenly as he followed his brother's gaze as it followed Rin as she played with the two children. "You like her don't you?" he asked, disbelief creeping into his voice.

"Is that hard to believe?" Sesshoumaru asked, irritation evident in his tone.

"Yes!" Inuyasha watched as his brother shrugged, giving the impression that he didn't care. Clapping a hand on Sesshoumaru's shoulder, he grinned. "Go for it! You have good taste in women."

With that said Inuyasha rose to his feet and took off running towards his son. He lifted the child high in the air and then proceeded to tickle him as the boy laughed. Kagome was sitting on a swing beside Akiko who talked to her animatedly. Sesshoumaru looked up at the sound of a person approaching and saw Rin drop down on the blanket beside him. She smiled at him and turned her gaze to the children and the two adults.

"Aki loves the flower you gave her."

"I'm glad," he said, surprised at how pleased he was to hear this.

"I didn't think you were going to come today," she said softly, a frown creasing her forehead.

"I was a bit late leaving home."

Rin nodded. "I'm glad you came," she said, looking him in the eyes, her own showing sincerity.

A small smile tugged his lips and he nodded. Letting her see his smile briefly before hiding it again.

"You should smile more often," she said. "You're quite handsome when you do."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow and she blushed as she realised what she had said. Coughing slightly, she covered her mouth with her hand and looked away hastily. He smirked at her turned head, although he had to admit he was shocked by her statement.

The afternoon passed far too quickly for Sesshoumaru's liking and the sun was soon sinking low behind the trees, bathing the park in a fading golden light. Kagome and Rin had become fast friends, much like their children, and were planning future play dates for the children. The two males watched on in silence as the women spoke happily.

By the end of the afternoon, the children had tired themselves out and Taiki between his parents, his head on his mother's lap as she stroked his hair gently as he slept. The adult's conversation was now mainly between the women with input from Inuyasha every so often. Sesshoumaru sat at the edge of the blanket, leaning back against a tree with his head bent back and his eyes closed as he relished in the comfort of his surroundings.

Rin sat nearby braiding Akiko's hair as she spoke with Kagome, her gaze occasionally flitting across to the handsome male reclining against the tree. As she secured the ribbon in her daughter's hair, said child looked up at her with a sleepy smile that grew when her mother pressed a kiss against her cheek. The girl stumbled to her feet and walked away from her mother who merely smiled fondly and returned to the conversation, knowing she wouldn't go far.

However, Inuyasha watched with interest as the little girl walked over to where Sesshoumaru sat. She paused briefly before approaching him and kneeling down beside him. It looked as though the girl was thinking as she stared at the tall man she had come to trust. In a movement that shocked Inuyasha, she curled up on his lap and promptly fell asleep. What shocked Inuyasha even more was that his brother didn't respond, he merely sat there with his eyes still closed, apparently oblivious to the child on his lap.

After a while, it was time to leave and as Kagome fussed over Taiki as she wrapped him up against the chill of the evening air, Rin looked around for her daughter. When she located her, she wasn't sure if she should smile or frown. Inuyasha noticed her bewildered expression and grinned.

"She seems to have taken a liking to him," he said.

"So it seems," Rin replied with a smile.

"I can't imagine why though," Inuyasha teased with a grin that she returned.

"We'll meet you by the cars, Rin," Kagome said as she picked up the bags she had brought. Inuyasha winked at her and picked up his sleeping son, following his wife's footsteps.

Rin picked up her daughter's toys and books that were scattered across the red blanket she had brought. When she packed away the last of them, she looked back at the sleeping pair, unsure of what to do. Eventually, she decided she just had to wake them even though she really didn't want to. Carefully taking a step towards the pair, she shook Sesshoumaru's shoulder gently and tried to loosen the grasp her daughter had on his shirt. As he woke up, the first thing he saw was Rin's face. She smiled at him when she realised he was awake and he thought that it was the best way to wake up. He looked down when he felt a slight weight on him and saw Akiko curled up on his lap, her hand gripping his shirt tightly. Blinking in confusion, he straightened slightly and looked at Rin who was still smiling at him.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked. He nodded. "Do you want me to wake her?"

Looking down at the small girl, he shook his head. "Leave her."

Rin nodded and reached for a jacket for the girl. "Do you think we can get this on her without waking her up?"

"Probably not."

Before Rin could speak again, Sesshoumaru was on his feet with the little girl held against his chest. Spotting his jacket, he carefully wrapped it around the girl and turned to look at Rin who had packed the blanket away.

"The others are waiting by the cars," she said. "We should go."

Sesshoumaru nodded and followed Rin back to the cars, cradling the little girl against his chest. Inuyasha was just putting the last of the bags away when he saw the trio approaching. He grinned and winked at them before sitting down in the driver's seat. Kagome came around the car and smiled at the sight of the new arrivals.

"It was a pleasure to meet you and Akiko, Rin," Kagome said as she hugged the woman. "We definitely have to do this again."

"I'm sure the children will see to that," Rin said with a fond look at her daughter.

"See you later, Sesshoumaru!" Kagome called as she got into the car.

Rin and Sesshoumaru watched the car disappear. Turning to Rin, he looked down at the child he held and carefully held her out to her mother. Cradling the child against her, Rin noticed that she was still covered in his jacket.

"What about your jacket?" she asked, raising her eyes to meet his.

He shrugged. "Give it to me next time you see me."

"Alright."

She put the child in her seat and buckled her in, pressing a kiss on her forehead as she withdrew and closed the door. Sesshoumaru was leaning against his car with his hands in his pockets, watching her. Blushing under his scrutiny, Rin brushed her hair behind her ear and smiled at him. He rose to his feet and walked over to tower over her, his hands still in his pockets.

"Today was great," she said quietly, not knowing what to say. "I'm glad you came."

He nodded. "Me too."

She smiled up at him again and leaned against her car. He looked at his watch and frowned slightly.

"It's late, I should be going," he said, watching her carefully.

"Yeah. Me too," she replied quietly, looking him in the eyes.

Despite their previous statements, neither made any move to leave. They just stood there looking at each other. After a while, Rin blushed again and looked away. Pushing herself away from the car she looked up at him.

"I'll probably see you next week," she said.

He nodded. "Probably."

"Thank you for today, I really enjoyed it."

Blushing, she stepped forward and reached up to press a kiss against his cheek. He stiffened slightly and then relaxed just before she pulled away. She stepped away and smiled at him. Sesshoumaru looked down at her and tilted his head slightly. He was very tempted to lean forward and kiss her, but instead he leaned towards her and grasped the door handle behind her. Opening the door for her, he gave her one of his rare smiles as she slipped inside the care. Rin opened the window as he shut the door. His hand drifted up to caress her cheek briefly before he pulled it away.

"Drive safely," was all he said as he took a step back.

Rin nodded, gave him a final smile and drove away, thoughts of Sesshoumaru filling her mind.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It was Monday morning and Sesshoumaru walked through the reception of Takahashi Technologies to the elevators. Stepping inside, he pressed the appropriate button and waited patiently as he began to rise. Arriving at his destination, he walked down a wooden panelled corridor to his office, nodding at his secretary as he walked inside.

He sighed in relief as he sat down in the leather chair behind his desk. It hadn't been long since he had last seen Rin, but she had plagued his mind since then. The memory of her smile and more than anything, the feeling of her lips. It was only a peck, but it was enough to make him crave more. The more he thought about it, the more he realised that he was not only falling for Rin, but he was developing a soft spot for her daughter as well.

Shaking his head, he looked up as his secretary came into the room with the morning's mail. She handed him several large envelopes but paused before she left. Looking at him uncertainly, she seemed to want to say something and as he looked up at her, she retreated from the room quickly.

Sesshoumaru knew that the woman had applied to be his secretary only because she hoped he would want a relationship with her. It was the same with every woman that worked for him. At times he wished he was married like Inuyasha so he didn't have to think up excuses when he rejected them. Of course, no one knew anything about his private life and he was careful to keep it that way. His reputation and company could be damaged severely if the press got hold of anything to do with his personal life. He allowed everyone to assume he was a cold man who had no desire for women in his life even though he was supposedly one of the most sought after bachelors in the city. The reason? It was easier that way. Carrying in his father's legacy with the company was more important.

He worked steadily throughout the day, trying hard not to think about the possibility of seeing Rin later. At 3:30pm, he leaned back in his chair and looked out the windows. Sighing he began to pack away his papers and files into his briefcase before rising to his feet. As he pulled on his jacket, he noticed that the flower Akiko had given him was still in his buttonhole, although it was dead now. Shrugging, he left it there and left the building to go and collect Taiki.

*-*-*-*-*-

As he approached the school, he saw Taiki sitting on the swings with Akiko. Smirking, he nodded to the women who always sat outside and made his way over to the two children. Taiki grinned and launched himself at his uncle when he kneeled down in front of them. Sesshoumaru returned his hug before smiling slightly at Akiko. She had a book open on her lap as usual and he was curious what she read all the time.

"What are you reading?" he asked her gently.

She was quiet for a moment before she lifted her book up to show him the colourful pictures. "Thumbelina!" she said proudly.

He nodded and turned his attention to Taiki who was trying to tie one of his shoe laces which had come undone. Once he had tied the lace, Akiko caught his attention again.

"The flower's dead," she said with a sad voice, as though she were mourning the loss of its life.

"But yours isn't," he said as he noticed the bright yellow flower in her hair.

She smiled and dug through her bag for a moment. He watched her curiously when she extended a closed hand to him. She opened it to reveal a yellow plastic flower similar to the one he had given her.

"This one won't die!" she said happily as he accepted it.

"Thank you," he said quietly as he replaced the dead flower with the plastic one.

Rin arrived just in time to watch the exchange. She approached the small group with a smile and opened her arms to her daughter as she ran towards her. Smiling she let go of her daughter and ruffled Taiki's hair in greeting. He smiled at her in response.

"Hello, Sesshoumaru," she said after greeting the children. He nodded his usual greeting. "I see Akiko gave you your gift already."

Looking down at the flower he smiled slightly. "It was very kind of her."

Rin picked up Akiko's bag and took her daughter's hand as they started to walk towards the gate. Sesshoumaru picked up Taiki and fell into step beside her.

"Did you have a good weekend?" Rin asked.

"It was alright. Did you?"

"Yes thank you. Akiko and I went to buy some new plants for her garden."

He nodded and looked at the little girl. "What did you buy?"

Akiko grinned back at him. "I got a sunflower!"

"You got sunflower seeds, dear," Rin reminded her.

Sesshoumaru nodded tolerantly. "That'll be bigger than you when it grows."

The child's eyes widened. "Really?" He nodded again. "Bigger than mommy?"

"Yes."

"Bigger than you?"

Deciding to humour the child, he nodded again. "Bigger than me too."

Rin laughed as they reached the cars and put Akiko's bag inside the car. "That's really big isn't it Aki?"

The girl nodded as she looked at Sesshoumaru. "Really big."

Rin picked her daughter up and buckled her into her seat before turning around to Sesshoumaru who had done the same.

"See you tomorrow?" she asked with a smile.

He nodded. "See you tomorrow."

Rin gave him a smile and wave as she drove away. He stood there for a moment before he turned around and shut the car's back door and walking around to the driver's seat. Driving away, he didn't notice the two people standing in the shadow of an alley nearby. They walked across the street to the school where they handed to two women sitting outside it a wad of money before leaving.

*-*-*-*-*-*

The next day, there was a hush about the building as Sesshoumaru walked through the reception to the elevators as he normally did. He took no notice and ignored everyone until he got to his office. Once he was comfortably seated behind his desk, he began working only to be interrupted by his secretary.

"Excuse me?" she asked meekly from the doorway.

"Yes? What is it?" he asked, not looking up from the papers he was reading.

"I think there's something you should see, ."

That caught his attention and he looked up. "What?"

The secretary walked forward and handed him the day's newspaper. He looked at it briefly before looking back up at her thinking she was making a joke of some kind, he never read the paper. She indicated for him to look at the headlines and he frowned as he did so. By the time he had finished, there was a scowl on his face.

"Thank you for informing me," he said to the secretary. She nodded and left the room hurriedly.

He looked down at the paper again and his frown grew. There on the front page was something he had hoped he would never see. A picture of himself carrying Taiki walking beside Rin and Akiko sat staring back at him under the headline: **"The Number One Bachelor's Secret Family?"** Sesshoumaru read through the article noting that the author had seen him coming out of the school grounds carrying a child that looked remarkably like himself. He raised an eyebrow as the author proceeded to describe how comfortable they had been in each other's company which indicated that this was no friendship. He scowled even more when he came to a part that described how cleverly he had disguised the fact that he was married and had two children.

At that moment, the door flew open and Inuyasha sauntered in. He frowned slightly when he noticed his brother's scowl. He had been intending to ask how things were going with Rin, but changed his mind when he saw his expression.

"Something the matter, Sesh?" he asked as he sat down in the chair opposite his brother.  
"This." Sesshoumaru threw the newspaper across the desk and slumped in his chair with a sigh.

Inuyasha whistled as he read through the article. "What're you going to do?"

"I'll have to stop picking Taiki up for a start."

"That's a shame," Inuyasha said with a frown. "He really likes that. I'll go and ring Kagome and tell her. See you later."

As he left, Sesshoumaru frowned and stared out the window. He didn't know what to do now. Suddenly he wondered if Rin had seen the article. Digging through his pockets, he found the card she had given him. Picking up his phone, he dialled her number and waited for and answer.

"Hello, this is Nakamura Florists, how may I help?" a cheerful voice asked.

"I need to speak with Ms. Nakamura please."

"Certainly, may I ask who's calling?"

He paused, not wanting to give his name. "I'd rather you didn't."

"Alright, please hold."

He sighed and rubbed his eyes as he leaned back in his chair, waiting for an answer. A familiar, melodious voice came across the line a moment later and he felt a wave of relief wash over him.

"Hello, this is Rin Nakamura."

"Rin, its Sesshoumaru."

"Oh hello! This is a surprise! What can I do for you?"

"I'm sorry to bother you at work, but there's something we need to discuss."

She hesitated before speaking. "Has something happened?" she asked cautiously.

"I'm not going to be collecting Taiki anymore," he said, deciding not to beat around the bush.

"I see," she said sounding disappointed.

"Have you got a copy of the newspaper with you?"

"No, why?" She beckoned her secretary over and asked for the newspaper. "Oh dear," she gasped when she read the headline.

"You've seen the headline?"

"Yes." She skimmed through the rest of the article and sighed. "What should we do?"

"It's not something we should discuss over the phone."

"You're right, I don't think we'd want a conversation like this overheard in case it results in another headline," she said as she looked at what she thought was quite a nice photograph of the four of them. "Come over for tonight and we'll discuss it."

Sesshoumaru hesitated, wondering if this would only make the situation worse. Seeing no alternative, he agreed and wrote down her address promising to be there at 6pm that evening. When he put the phone down, he sighed and rubbed his eyes. How had this happened? He had done everything possible to prevent this and it had happened anyway.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

As promised, Sesshoumaru arrived outside Rin's home slightly before 6pm. The pouring rain hit the road and pavement in sheets and he sighed as he looked at the distance he'd have to cross to get to her door. With a resigned look at the unwelcoming weather outside, he pulled up the collar of his coat and got out the car to make his way to the door.

Hearing a knock, Rin rushed to the door, wiping her hands on a cloth as she went. Opening the door, she was surprised to see a slightly damp Sesshoumaru standing on the doorstep. She ushered him inside and got him a towel to dry himself with, silently marvelling at how good looking he was even when he'd just been in the rain.

"Don't you have an umbrella?" she asked as she brought a mug of coffee into the living room for him.

He shook his head. "I seem to have misplaced it." Rin laughed and walked back into the kitchen. "Where's Akiko?" he asked suddenly.

"She's in here finishing her dinner," Rin called from the kitchen.

Sesshoumaru walked into the kitchen and found that Akiko was indeed sitting at the kitchen table smiling at him as he entered. Her small hand clutched a plastic spoon and she had some sort of sauce around her mouth. She was about to open her mouth to greet him, but a stern look from Rin stopped her. Instead, the girl settled for a wave and returned to her meal. Sesshoumaru sat down at the table beside the child and watched patiently as Rin cleaned up the mess her daughter was making as she ate.

Eventually, Rin picked the child up with a sigh and shook her head. "I better get her cleaned up before bed," she said with a smile at her guest. "Make yourself comfortable."

Nodding, Sesshoumaru returned to the living room and sat down on the sofa. Looking around, he noted that the room was tastefully furnished. A polished wooden table sat between two large comfortable looking armchairs opposite him while a coffee table of the same wood sat in front of him. Turning around, he looked behind him to find himself looking out over a large garden through large glass doors. Even though the light was waning, he could clearly see large trees lining the fence at the bottom of the garden while neat rows of flowers were scattered around. He noticed some young plants that appeared to be sunflowers and smiled inwardly, remembering the conversation he had had with Akiko about them.

"That's her settled in for the night," Rin said from behind him. He turned around in time to see her sit heavily in one of the armchairs.

"Is she asleep?"

"Not yet, but she will be soon enough." She looked out at the rain and grimaced before looking back at Sesshoumaru who was taking his seat on the sofa again. "So then, what shall we do?"

Sesshoumaru blinked in confusion, for a moment not understanding what she was referring to. "I'm not sure," he admitted.

Rin was about to speak when the phone rang in the kitchen. She smiled at him and disappeared to answer it. As he sat still in his seat, Sesshoumaru silently pondered her question. Was there truly anything he could do to remedy the situation the press had put him in. He was only waiting for the phone call from his parents berating him about not telling them of his family. He rubbed his forehead tiredly and sighed as Rin came back into the room.

"Sorry about that," she apologized. "It was Kagome organising another play date for the children."

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "It's fine."

"So what are we going to do about this situation? I realise it could damage your reputation."

"I don't know what to do. There seems to be little we can do without the press thinking we are only covering up the truth."

Rin nodded. She gazed out the window at the sheets of rain pouring from the heavens and laughed softly. "I wonder what my parents would say if they had seen that headline?"

"I know the thought only too well," Sesshoumaru said grimace. "I'm waiting for the inevitable phone call inviting me around for dinner and then having to try and explain the situation."

Rin patted his arm reassuringly and gave him a rueful smile. "We'll find a way through this."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Just as Sesshoumaru had predicted, just over a week later, the dreaded phone call came while he sat alone in his office, well after closing hours. The rain was pouring down again, which was never a good omen. He had been watching it fall down past his windows, plummeting several stories to hit the pavement so far below. He had been loath to leave the safety of his office having been followed by reporters from various newspapers and local television stations in the past few days. As the shrill ringing of the phone broke the silence, Sesshoumaru glared at the phone on his desk as though trying to melt it with the intensity of his gaze. Eventually, he gave up and picked up the receiver cautiously.

"Yes?"

"Sesshoumaru dear! It's Izayoi!"

His heart sank at the words. "Hello."

"I'm preparing a little family meal tonight, do you suppose you could make it?"

"I could."

"Brilliant! Arrive for 7," Izayoi said in cheerful voice. "Do bring your friend along as well, dear. It would be so good to meet her."

As he held the now dead receiver, he frowned as he gazed out at the now heavy rainfall. He had hoped that maybe there had been a possibility that his parents hadn't seen the newspaper seeing as Izayoi had not mentioned it. However his hopes were dashed when she had tactfully added the invitation to Rin on the end of the conversation before putting the phone down, giving him no chance to object. Sesshoumaru put the receiver back in its cradle and then sighed, leaning his head against the head rest of his chair. He could invite Rin and let her try to convince his parents or he could try to do it himself. Seeing there was no alternative, he picked up the phone once again and dialled a number now imprinted in his memory.

"Hello?" a childish voice answered the phone.

"Hello Akiko, it's Sesshoumaru," he said, trying to keep impatience from his tone. "Could I speak to your mother please?"

"I'll call Mama!" she all but shouted and disappeared.

Sesshoumaru sighed again; he suspected that he would be nursing a headache after this night was over. He really had no desire to visit his parents to explain the situation and didn't want to involve Rin either, but there was no choice now.

"Hello?" Rin's voice broke through his thoughts.

"It's Sesshoumaru."

"Oh hello! What can I do for you?"

"I need to ask a favour of you."

There was a pause before she spoke again. "What sort of favour?"

"My parents invited me to dinner tonight."

"Yes?"

"Please come with me so we can set the matter straight."

"It's a bit short notice, Sesshoumaru," she said, sounding doubtful.

"I apologize."

"I'll have to find a babysitter for Aki."

"Bring her with you. Inuyasha and Kagome will be there as well. She can play with Taiki."

Rin paused again before making her decision. "Alright. What time is it?"

"I'll pick you up at 6.45."

"That gives me only an hour to get myself and Aki ready! I'll see you later Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru put the phone down again and smiled slightly to himself. The matter could finally be put to rest after tonight. He picked up his jacket and headed for the door to go home, praying that tonight would go well.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Once again, Sesshoumaru was punctual in his arrival. After returning home for a shower and change of clothes, he still had time to stop by a shop to pick up a flower for Akiko and one for Rin. He had bought a single red rose for Rin and had tucked it safely away in his jacket pocket as he rang her doorbell. His breath caught in his throat when she opened the door. She was wearing a sleeveless black dress that reached her knees and a pair of stilettos adorned her feet. It was not her dress however that made him catch his breath, it was her face. He had never seen her with make up before and the effect was breathtaking. Her dark hair was swept back away from her face in a messy bun which gave her a regal air. Her luscious red lips parted in a smile of greeting when she opened the door.

"Exactly on time," she said with a smile.

She gestured for him to come inside while she picked up the last few things she thought she would need. Akiko came running into the living room from her bedroom wearing a yellow dress. She smiled shyly at Sesshoumaru for a moment before walking towards him when he beckoned. Once again he produced a yellow flower for the child, only this time he handed her a yellow rose. He smiled inwardly when he noticed the child was wearing the plastic one he had given her in her hair beside the white ribbons that kept her bun in place. She grinned at him before wrapping her arms around his neck happily.

"Don't mess your hair up, Akiko!" Rin's voice came floating through from the kitchen where she prepared a vase of water for the rose. "Put it in here."

Obediently, the little girl slipped the rose into the water and carefully picked up the vase to put it on the table between the armchairs. Rin watched with a smile as her daughter gazed happily at the rose and she turned her smile to Sesshoumaru only to catch her breath when he held out a red rose to her. Blushing slightly, she accepted it and smiled.

"Thank you."

He nodded and said nothing as he watched her place it in the vase beside Akiko's yellow one. "We should go," he said after a moment.

Within minutes, the trio were in Sesshoumaru's car driving towards his parents' home. Rin pulled her shawl closer around her despite it being warm in the car. Soon, she noticed the car beginning to slow and approach a large expensive looking home. She caught her breath as she gazed up at the magnificent architecture and stunning gardens now shrouded in shadows. When the car stopped, she allowed Sesshoumaru to open her door and help her out as she took in her surroundings with awe. The front door of the house opened and a tall figure of a man stood silhouetted in the doorway.

"Hurry up, Sesshoumaru! Everyone's here already!" a booming voice commanded.

Rin soon found out that the figure in the doorway had been Sesshoumaru's father, Inutaisho. He greeted her warmly and took an immediate liking to Akiko. The child also took a liking to the tall man and was soon comfortably held in his arms, being carried to the living room where the rest of the family waited. Once they entered the room, Rin found herself hugged by Kagome and Taiki and patted on the back by Inuyasha all at once. After everyone had quieted down, she found that she immediately liked Izayoi. The woman was a natural with children and while Taiki played with his father, Izayoi and Inutaisho played happily with Akiko, still firmly believing that she was their grandchild.

"That's a pretty flower you have in your hair," Izayoi said softly to Akiko. "Where did you get it?"

The child laughed and smiled happily. She turned to face the sofa where Sesshoumaru sat beside Rin and pointed at him with a grin.

"Sesshoumaru gave it to you?" Akiko nodded. Izayoi looked over at her son and cleared her throat. "I think it's time we had words, Sesshoumaru."

He raised an eyebrow and looked her. "Oh?"

"You have such a beautiful daughter and a stunning wife and yet you never told us?" Inutaisho stated. "I'm disappointed in you. How could hide such a thing from us? Even Inuyasha and Kagome claimed they did not know!"

Sesshoumaru was swiftly losing his patience at the tone of his father' voice. He respected the man, but that did not exempt him from testing his patience. After sitting and listening to his father moan about not knowing about hi son's marriage with the occasional input from Izayoi for about 10 minutes, Sesshoumaru had had enough. He was about to open his mouth to his mouth to tell them that he was not married to Rin at all and Akiko was not his daughter, when Rin gently nudged his side.

"It is regrettable that you had to find out via the newspapers," he said and paused, looking at Rin thoughtfully.

Kagome and Inuyasha stared at her in disbelief. Had the pair been married all along? Had the pair been fooling them from the very first time they met Rin?

"Truthfully, we aren't married," Rin said softly, her gaze dropping slightly. "The newspapers exaggerate."

Inutaisho stared at his son and then the child sitting on the floor in surprise. Izayoi gasped is dismay while Inuyasha and Kagome looked on with bemused expressions.

"Not yet anyway," Sesshoumaru said and carefully avoided the looks of curiosity he was receiving from everyone.

"Yet?" Kagome asked.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "We will be soon enough." He paused and looked at Rin. "I just hadn't worked up the courage to ask her."

Rin gasped in shock while everyone's dismay and confusion turned to amusement. She blushed prettily as Sesshoumaru slid a delicate gold ring onto her finger. After staring at it for a moment, she looked up and smiled happily even though her heart ached that this was purely for show.

"There is one thing I don't understand," Inutaisho said thoughtfully. "Where did Akiko come from? She certainly doesn't bear much resemblance to either of you."

"That's because I adopted her about three years ago," Rin said looking fondly at the girl. It was fortunate that the child was still too young to understand what the adults were talking about.

"Adopted her?!" Kagome exclaimed before her surprise was replaced by a smile. "It seems our Rin has a rather big heart."

Rin blushed but stayed silent, very aware of everyone's gaze on her.

"She does have a very big heart," Sesshoumaru said quietly from beside her. "And it belongs solely to Akiko and me."

Izayoi smiled and leaned back in her seat. Inutaisho grinned at his son and his future daughter-in-law. He was proud that Sesshoumaru had found such a woman; she might help melt his icy exterior slightly. It was the first time he had ever heard him say such a possessive thing about anything, let alone a person.

"Well now we know and we've met your family," Izayoi said with a smile.

Soon enough, it was 9pm, dinner was eaten and the children asleep on the sofa in the living room while the adults conversed. Sesshoumaru sat in his chair beside Rin, his dessert plate empty in front of him and one of his hands clasped around a wine glass. Across the table, Inuyasha stretched widely and threw an arm around Kagome's shoulders. He yawned and looked at his mother with a smile.

"Dinner was good, mother."

"I'm glad you liked it, dear," she said with a fond smile.

Kagome leaned back to look through the doorway into the living room and smiled. "I think we'd better go. We need to put Taiki to bed."

Kagome stood up and excused herself from the room and went into the living room where the children were sleeping and Rin followed soon after. Inuyasha stretched again as he watched appreciatively as his wife exited the room. Shaking her head, Izayoi collected the dishes, leaving the three men alone. Inutaisho followed Sesshoumaru's gaze into the living room where Rin stood beside Kagome.

"You chose a good one there, son!" Inutaisho grinned and clapped Sesshoumaru on the back.

"You did good, Sesh," Inuyasha added with a toothy grin.

Sesshoumaru snorted and looked away from his brother and father. He smiled inwardly as he watched a sleepy looking Akiko be wrapped up in a light jacket Rin had brought with them. Inuyasha stood up and walked into the living room to help pack away Taiki's belongings. Seeing Sesshoumaru's glance, Inutaisho nodded his head in the direction of the living room.

"Go and help Rin," he said quietly. "Izayoi will probably shout if I don't go and help her soon."

"Alright."

Heeding his father, Sesshoumaru walked into the living room where Rin was kneeling in front of Akiko who still looked half asleep. The child's hair was falling from its bun, but the yellow flower still remained in place.

"Be sure to wrap the children up warm! It's very cold outside," Izayoi's voice drifted through from the kitchen.

Seeing that the child was reluctant to put on the jacket her mother was holding out to her, Sesshoumaru merely bent down and picked up the jacket he had discarded on the sofa he had been sitting on earlier and wrapped it around the child. The little girl giggled and slipped her arms through the long sleeves. Once everyone was ready to leave, Sesshoumaru bent to pick up the bag Rin had brought, but was stopped when Akiko held out her arms to him, her tiny frame swamped by his jacket. After a brief pause, he leaned forward to pick up the child instead. He was slightly shocked at how right it felt to hold the child like this and how it also felt right for her to wrap her small arms around his neck.

"Be careful on the way home," Izayoi said as she fussed over Taiki who was standing beside his parents near the door. Inuyasha grinned as he watched his son struggle away from his grandmother as she tried to place a kiss on his cheek. Sesshoumaru and Rin joined them and Izayoi immediately adjusted the jacket around the little girl to keep her from the chill before placing a kiss on the child's forehead. "Be sure to come and visit again."

The two Takahashi siblings left the house with the two women in tow and stopped beside the cars that were parked side by side. After a brief conversation, both cars left the grounds and went in separate directions at the end of the street. Rin turned in her seat and looked at Akiko who was sleeping in her seat and smiled.

"She's had a late night," Sesshoumaru noted.

"A very late night," Rin agreed.

When they arrived at Rin's home, the rain had started again and the trio had to run inside for shelter from the coming storm. Once she had settled her daughter in bed, Rin returned to the living room to find Sesshoumaru gazing out the window at the rain. She stood beside him and sighed.

"Would you like to stay the night? I don't think you should drive in this."

"Thank you." There was a pause as the pair looked at the rain before Sesshoumaru spoke. "I'm sorry for putting you in such an awkward position."

She shrugged. "It's fine. I'm sure everything will work out," she said with a smile.

"This complicates matters."

"I know," she sighed.

"How will we explain our separate accommodation?"

Rin shrugged again. "I don't know."

Sesshoumaru looked at Rin to find her deep in thought. Her brow was furrowed and she bit her lip as she thought. Suddenly he found it very hard to resist the urge to see if her lips were as soft as they looked and had to turn away to keep himself in check.

"The only way I can see is for us to have shared accommodation," he said as he reluctantly tore his eyes away from her.

Rin's eyes widened. "That's true, but I can't leave this house. Akiko wouldn't leave her garden either."

"Unless there's a better garden?" he asked.

"That might work," she paused to think about it. "We'd have to discuss it with her."

"I'll work out the finer details and then let you know."

Rin nodded, this plan might just work. She certainly hadn't planned to end up living with Sesshoumaru, but she didn't mind in the slightest. She could feel her heart softening towards the stoic man. Smiling slightly, she stood up and showed him towards the guest room.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 8**

Over the following two weeks, Rin packed up her belongings in her home and Sesshoumaru did the same at his apartment. Soon they were both standing in the living room of the new house surrounded by boxes as Akiko explored the new garden. Rin sighed and sank down onto a box beside her and looked around her at the piles of boxes.

"I'm not really sure where to start," she admitted.

Sesshoumaru looked around and picked up a small box with the words "Bathroom" written across the top. He handed it to her. "Start there," he said with a vague smile.

Laughing, Rin took the box and disappeared down the hall. As she walked away, Sesshoumaru couldn't resist watching the way her hips swaying temptingly. Sighing, he picked moved a pile of boxes and pushed a sofa into place. The furniture was already in the house, but had yet to be arranged. He knew that it would take quite a while before the house felt like a home but he knew that it would be worth the effort in the end.

It began to get dark after several hours and Rin called Akiko in from the garden for the meal she had somehow prepared in the chaos of the kitchen. The three sat at a table in the kitchen and enjoyed their meal, but soon Rin was taking her daughter upstairs for a bath before putting her to bed. Sesshoumaru stayed behind to clear away the plates and found that the sense of domesticity that hung in the air thrilled him. He found himself wishing that the story in the newspaper was true. Even though he had told his parents they would be married soon, he wished it was because they truly were a couple.

Rin came back into the living room nearly an hour later and sank down onto the sofa. They had managed to put the furniture in the living room and Akiko's bedroom in order. Sighing, she leaned her head back, closing her eyes as she let herself relax for the first time that day.

"Tired?" Sesshoumaru asked as he looked at her over the book he was reading from his seat opposite her.

"Very," she said only moments before yawning.

Sesshoumaru smiled and watched as she curled up on the sofa and sighed happily at the comfort it provided. Within moments, her weariness overtook her and she was asleep. He wondered whether he should leave her there seeing as she looked so comfortable but decided against it. Heaving a sigh, he stood up and stretched before going over to her and picking her up, careful not to wake her up. He negotiated his way through the doorways and soon stood in one of the bedrooms that had a fully made bed in it. He noticed that the bed that stood in the middle of the room was his own, but shrugged it off as he put her gently on the soft mattress, covering her with the covers. Leaving the room, he settled himself on the sofa for the night.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The next morning, Sesshoumaru opened his eyes to find himself covered with a warm blanket. He frowned, not remembering having one before he fell asleep the night before. Sitting up in on the sofa, he looked around the room and saw no one but could hear voices coming from the kitchen. Rising from his seat, he made his way through a maze of boxes to the kitchen where he heard Rin's soft voice. She was standing barefoot next to the sink looking out the window, dressed in a knee length cotton bath robe. Turning around when she heard him come into the room, she smiled and held out a mug of coffee.

"Good morning," she said with a smile. "Did you sleep well?"

He nodded. "Who were you talking to?"

"Aki. She's outside playing," Rin smiled and looked out the window at the mention of the child.

"Thank you for the blanket."

"That's alright. You looked a bit cold." Rin sat down opposite him and smiled again. "We need to finish this house soon. You can't sleep on the sofa forever."

"Akiko's bedroom and the bathroom are finished, what does that leave us with?" he asked with a frown as he tried to remember.

"I can finish the kitchen pretty easily."

"That just leaves a bedroom and my office."

She nodded as she took a sip of her coffee. "We should be able to finish today."

"I'll go and have a shower then make a start on the office."

Standing up, Rin followed him through the living room and made her way to the bedroom to change. As she walked ahead of him, Sesshoumaru admired her long bare legs and watched the hypnotizing sway of her hips. She turned away and smiled at him before closing the bedroom door as he walked past, making his way towards the bathroom at the end of the corridor.

Several hours later, Sesshoumaru was moving furniture around his office and making sure all the electronics worked. A knock on the door made him look up to find Rin standing at the door with carrying a plate and a glass on a tray. He beckoned her inside as he pushed his chair behind his desk. She placed the tray on his desk and smiled as he dropped down into his leather chair with a sigh.

"Have you finished everything in here?" she asked as she looked around.

He nodded. "Did you finish the bedroom?"

"Yeah."

Sesshoumaru nodded and looked out the window. "I think we should celebrate." Rin tilted her head and looked at him curiously. "Shall we go out to dinner?"

She grinned. "That would be lovely, but what about Aki?"

"I'm sure we can arrange a last minute play date with Taiki."

"I'll call Kagome and arrange it," she said with a smile and turned to leave the room.

*-*-*-*-*-*

Two hours later, Sesshoumaru was walking into a restaurant with Rin beside him. There had been few protests from Akiko when she heard that she would spend the evening with Taiki. The restaurant he had chosen was well known among the wealthy residents of the city and he decided it would be appropriate for their celebration, trivial as it may be. He watched as the head waiter disappeared to set up their table and fidgeted with his tie, sighing softly. Rin heard the sigh and turned to look at him; she smiled as she saw his fingers on his tie. Gently, she batted his fingers away and set about straightening the offending fabric, unaware how intimate the gesture was.

"Stop fidgeting," she admonished him gently.

He looked down at her when she spoke. Her long dark hair was tied back in a bun at the nape of her neck and a few thin strands framed her face. Her bare shoulders were covered by a black shawl while her body was clad in a long black dress. Sesshoumaru watched in fascination as a smile spread across her face while she spoke to the head waiter as he led them to their table. He couldn't take his eyes off her as her beautiful brown eyes scanned the menu and had to admit that she was even more beautiful than he had originally thought. Now that he had come to get to know her, he found her personality as beautiful as her face.

"What are you going to have?" she asked, looking over the top of her menu at him.

"Fish," he said immediately, not looking down at the menu he held in his hands.

"Salmon?" He nodded. "I might have that as well."

Sesshoumaru nodded again and signalled the nearest waiter and placed their orders before going back to observing Rin. After a moment, she looked up and blushed under his scrutiny. His heated gaze made her very self conscious. She looked into his eyes and blushed again before breaking eye contact. Soon, the meal arrived and the pair ate quietly. Rin grinned as their plates were cleared away.

"That was lovely!"

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Sesshoumaru said quietly, a small smile tugging his lips. "Would you like dessert?"

Rin's eyes widened. "I don't think I could eat anymore," she said with a sheepish smile.

Nodding, Sesshoumaru signalled a waiter and requested their bill. After a short while, the pair were making their way across the expansive dining area to the door. Once again, he let Rin walk slightly ahead of him as he admired her for the third time that day. Unfortunately, just as they were walking out the door into the brightly lit car park, a voice called his name. Turning around, he nearly groaned when he saw a colleague from work. Rin stopped and walked up to stand beside him, curious about this new person.

"Sesshoumaru!" a tall man grinned. "I didn't know you ate here."

"Only on rare occasions."

The man grinned again and turned to look at Rin with interest. "Are you going to introduce me to your friend?"

"Rin, this is a colleague of mine from work, Kouga."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Rin," Kouga said with a flirtatious smile.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at Kouga's blatant flirting. Rin blushed prettily at his comments but brushed them off, trying not to encourage him. After a few minutes of watching Kouga subtly trying to get a date with Rin, Sesshoumaru sighed irritably and stepped closer to Rin. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close, before turning to Kouga.

"It has been good to see you. We must be leaving now."

That said, he steered Rin away, his arm anchoring her to his side. She sighed happily at the contact and leaned her head against his shoulder, a smile crossing her face. They soon reached the car and Sesshoumaru opened the door for her and closed it after her before getting in himself. Soon the car was speeding away leaving Kouga gaping at the scene he had just witnessed. Apparently the newspaper article had been true.


	8. Chapter 8

_**AN:**_ I got my chapters mixed up… the last one is actually chapter 7. I made a mistake with the title! Thank you to everyone for their reviews… much appreciated!

**Chapter8**

When Sesshoumaru returned to work at the beginning of the new week, he found himself on the receiving end of ferocious scowls from the women working in the building. Bewildered, he shrugged it off and made his way towards the elevators and as he waited for it to arrive, he felt a hand come down on his back. Turning around, he had to stifle a groan.

"Morning Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha said, slightly exuberant than usual.

"How's the wife?" Kouga asked with a grin, probably more loudly than was necessary.

As soon as the words had left his mouth, there was a pause that seemed to last forever as the words echoed around the now quiet reception area. If Sesshoumaru had not been the man he was, he would've groaned and slapped his forehead in exasperation, but he settled for glaring ferociously at his brother and his friend. The scowls he had been receiving seemed to double in intensity as he took a cautious look around to see who had heard Kouga's outburst.

"She's fine," he muttered and turned back around to step into the elevator, praying that Inuyasha and his side kick would leave him be. He was glad Inuyasha had not corrected his friend about his marital status. Unfortunately, his prayers were not answered as they stepped in beside him.

"She's a beauty!" Kouga said, still grinning as the doors slid shut. "Are you bringing her to the dinner tomorrow?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. "What dinner?"

"You don't know?" Inuyasha asked. "The senior members of staff are meeting the sponsors for our new product."

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Sesshoumaru asked, his irritation growing.

Inuyasha shrugged. "I was under the impression Father would have told you since he organised it."

Sighing, Sesshoumaru stepped out of the elevator and made his way to his office, making a mental note to talk to Rin about the dinner later. His secretary gave him a fierce look as he walked past and followed him into his office only to dump his mail unceremoniously on his desk and walk out. Shaking his head, Sesshoumaru realised that this set the tone for the day.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Much to Sesshoumaru's disappointment, his father had phoned him the very next day to tell him of the dinner. He had hoped that maybe his father had forgotten to invite him and that he and Rin could get away with not making an appearance that night. Unfortunately for him, his presence was required and Rin's as well.

Sesshoumaru stood in the bathroom frowning into the mirror as he tried and failed once again to fix his tie. After all the years he'd spent wearing them, you'd have thought he'd be capable of tying one properly. He cursed his inability to tie them and scowled at his reflection. He could hear the soft murmur of voices drifting down the corridor from Akiko's bedroom where Rin was reading to her. After several moments, Rin stepped into the bathroom to check her make up and looked at him in surprise, not expecting him to be there. She smiled as she saw his fingers tugging fruitlessly at his tie and walked towards him. For the second time, the batted his hands away and fixed his tie herself, relishing the aura of domesticity that surrounded them.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked as he looked down at her.

"Yeah. The babysitter arrived just before I put Aki to bed."

Nodding, he led her out the door and down into the living room where he pulled his coat on as she wrapped a delicate shawl around her shoulders. He looked at the elderly woman sitting on the sofa and held the door open for Rin as they left. They drove to Sesshoumaru's parents' home in silence, each left to their own thoughts. Rin sighed softly as she found herself gazing up at the enormous house again.

The house was buzzing with activity. Izayoi greeted them at the door with smiles and ushered them into the large reception room. Rin's eyes widened as she took in the scene before her. Men dressed in impeccable suits stood in groups with breath taking women beside them. Suddenly, she felt out of her depth and very out of place. Sesshoumaru noticed Rin take a step back from where she stood beside him and turned to look at her with a curious expression.

"Nervous?" he asked gently.

Rin nodded and looked around her, her wide, slightly frightened eyes darting from one group to another.

"Don't worry," Sesshoumaru said reassuringly as he leaned towards her.

He took her small hand in his and placed it on his arm gently. She smiled up at him gratefully before she settled her eyes on the room and its occupants. After a moment, two figures were making their way towards the couple. Rin's smile broadened as she recognised Kagome and Inuyasha.

"I see Father finally told you about tonight," Inuyasha said by way of greeting to his brother with a grin.

"Doesn't Rin look gorgeous, Inuyasha?!" Kagome squealed in delight as she looked at her friend.

"She does."

As Sesshoumaru watched the trio interact, he felt a surge of jealousy when he heard his brother agree that Rin was gorgeous. When he looked at her though, he had to agree that his brother was correct. She looked stunning in a backless and strapless black dress that reached her ankles. Her thick dark hair was swept up off her shoulders and held in place by clips that sparkled in the light. He sighed in satisfaction knowing that she was with him and no one would take her from him. Not without a fight.

"The dancing's starting!" Kagome said excitedly and tugged Inuyasha's arm. "Can we dance?"

"Fine." Inuyasha grimaced and allowed himself to be dragged onto the dance floor, much to the amusement of his brother and Rin.

"Would you like to dance, Rin?" Sesshoumaru asked, looking down at her intently.

Rin nodded and smiled up at the tall man beside her as he took her hand in his again and led her to the dance floor. His arm slid possessively around her waist and he held her close in an embrace that made her shiver with excitement. The other hand curled around hers and brought it to rest on his chest, just above his heart. He gave her a vague smile before he started moving and she sighed happily as she rested her head against his chest.

The dinner passed quickly and soon enough they were once again gathered in the conference room. Rin stood quietly next to Sesshoumaru as they stood beside Inuyasha and Kagome. The women were then dismissed to leave the men to talk business briefly before it grew too late. Kagome slipped her arm through Rin's and the pair left the room talking happily while the two men watched them leave.

"I'm a lucky man," Inuyasha said with a grin. Sesshoumaru nodded and his brother turned around to look at him. "So are you, you know."

"I know."

"I hope you're not planning to let her go anytime soon."

"No."

Inuyasha nodded and patted his brother on the back briefly before going to sit down.

Rin sat down in an armchair while Kagome sat on a sofa beside her. She sighed and leaned her head back, closing her eyes. Kagome looked over at her and smiled.

"Are you tired?" she asked her friend.

"Very. I haven't been getting much sleep lately."

"Don't worry; you'll be able to go soon. Those business talks never last long. The men have usually had too much alcohol by this time of the night to talk seriously about anything."

Rin laughed and closed her eyes again. She had to admit that there were several men staggering around that supported Kagome's observation.

An hour went past and after listening to all the women's conversations, Rin found herself drifting off to sleep. Fortunately, her chair was situated in the corner of the room where she could doze unnoticed. Rin had been dosing for some time when the door opened and several men walked in to sit beside their wives. Moments later, Inuyasha walked in with Sesshoumaru in tow. They made a beeline for the part of the room she and Kagome occupied. Inuyasha dropped into the sofa beside Kagome and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Sesshoumaru looked at Rin and she smiled sleepily up at him. He walked forward and knelt beside her chair, taking her hands in his.

"Tired?" he asked. She nodded and smiled again. "Let's get home then."

He pulled her up out of her seat and wrapped his arm around her waist. As he held her against him, he savoured the feeling of her soft skin.

"We're leaving," he said as he turned to Inuyasha and Kagome.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Within an hour, Sesshoumaru and Rin had left party and were making their way home. By the time the car pulled into their driveway, Rin had fallen asleep in her seat. Sesshoumaru smiled slightly as he looked at her. He got out of his seat and went around to her side of the car. Waking her gently, he helped her out of the car and closed the door behind her. After taking one look at her, he picked her up and made his way to the door.

Rin wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled closer to his warmth as the cold wind whipped past them. He made his way to the bedroom, but on the way he nodded to the babysitter who made her way to the door after he promised to send her the payment the next day. Sesshoumaru gently set her down on her bed and smiled as she murmured something and tried to keep her grip on his neck.

Eventually, he managed to get her to relinquish her grip, if only for a moment. He sat down on the side of the bed and watched as she curled up and reached for his hand in her sleep. With a vague smile, he wrapped his long fingers around her delicate hand. He gazed down at her peaceful face as she slept and lost himself in thought. After a while, Sesshoumaru was quite literally pulled from his thoughts as Rin turned over in her sleep. Still holding his hand, she pulled him over as she turned, surprising him with her strength.

Rin lay on her side with Sesshoumaru's arm wrapped securely around her waist. He lay on his stomach on the bed beside her, eyes wide with shock. Raising his head slightly, he looked over her shoulder and saw a smile on her face. Unable to help himself, he arranged himself comfortably beside her and closed his eyes, following her into sleep moments later.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The days after the dinner event went quickly and uneventfully. Life fell into a routine for Rin as she started her life with Sesshoumaru. Although still not officially married to him, she had to keep up the pretence and after waking up to find him asleep beside her in her bed after the dinner, it wasn't very hard to keep pretending to be his loving wife. Every morning afterwards, she would wake up to find one side of her bed occupied by Sesshoumaru. It brought a smile to her face every time she thought about it and the smile grew larger when she discovered that Sesshoumaru sometimes liked to cuddle in his sleep. She was very glad she was the one he held on those rare occasions.

Days turned into months and one Saturday morning, Rin found herself involved in a discussion about marriage with Izayoi over the phone. It was not uncommon for the two women to call each other; they had grown quite close since their first meeting. Sesshoumaru had emerged from his office to fin Rin seated at a small desk she had put in the corner of the living room, gazing out the window into the garden as she spoke to his stepmother. Looking out the window, he saw that her eyes were following Akiko as she ran across the grass, apparently chasing butterflies. Smiling slightly, he walked out into the garden and found himself struggling for balance as the child ran towards him and launched herself at him. Like Rin and Izayoi, he and Akiko had developed a relationship of their own.

It had started one evening when he had been in his office, engrossed in his work. The only light in the room came from the small table lamp that stood on his desk, shining down on his papers. The door had opened to reveal Akiko, clutching what looked like a book to her chest. Sesshoumaru had motioned for her to come in and turned in his chair to look at her curiously. When asked what was wrong, she simply said that the homework she had been given was too hard for her. Understanding immediately, he nodded and picked her up, placing her on his knee behind the desk. Pushing aside his papers, he placed her small book and work sheet in front of him and began to help her with her work. From that moment onwards, they had made it a ritual to sit together in his office every night. She still sat on his knee as she did her work, but he would do his own if she required no help. More often than not, the child would fall asleep and he would end up putting her to bed, but in doing so, he had developed a rather soft spot for the child.

Today was different though. He didn't know what made it different, but he suspected that something was going to happen. Sesshoumaru wondered briefly if that was what people referred to as "gut feeling." After playing with Akiko for a while, he found his gaze returning to the living room window where he could see Rin still looking out. He saw a frown marring her features as she put the phone down and stood up. It was rare to see her frown and it worried him. Walking inside her found her pouring herself a glass of water in the kitchen.

"Something wrong?" he asked quietly, taking a seat at the table.

She spun around, staring at him in surprise. "That was Izayoi," she responded after a moment.

"I thought as much." He looked at her and found her frowning again. "What did she say?"

"She thinks it's time to start planning the wedding."

"I see."

Rin didn't respond but turned away from him and left the room, walking soundlessly down the corridor. Sesshoumaru looked after her for a moment and then out the window to see Akiko still playing happily in the garden. Taking a deep breath, he followed in Rin's footsteps and found her lying on their bed, staring at the ceiling. After pausing for a moment in the doorway, he sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at her, unsure how to proceed. After a moment, she sighed and turned her head to look at him, a soft smile gracing her lips as she did so.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked again.

"I'm just not ready to leap into a marriage yet," she said softly, tearing her eyes away from his, her smile fading as she looked back up at the ceiling with another sigh.

Sesshoumaru nodded in understanding. He wasn't sure he was ready yet either. It was indeed a marriage of convenience and he was very grateful to have found a woman like Rin to agree to it. Marriages of convenience weren't very common, at least not to his knowledge, but it struck him as something not very many women would agree to. Sighing, he turned to Rin and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear in an unexpectedly gentle gesture. Rin caught her breath as she looked at him. She knew now that he was a gentle man despite his reputation for being cold and fierce, but those gentle gestures and looks still surprised her.

"It seems that maybe I need to have a word with Izayoi," he said thoughtfully.

"About what?"

"Us not wanting to get married yet."

"You don't want to…?" she asked, slightly confused.

He shook his head. "Like you, I don't think I'm ready either."

Rin nodded and smiled, knowing that he would never admit a weakness like that to anyone other than her. Sometimes, she wondered if the emotion he showed to her was showed to anyone else. She knew that perhaps Inuyasha saw some of it, the two brothers were close even though they hid it very well with their sibling rivalry and sometimes vicious insults.

"Where are you going?" she asked as she saw him rising to his feet.

"To pay a visit to my parents."

"I'll have lunch ready by the time you get back."

Nodding, Sesshoumaru ran his thumb across her cheek gently before exiting the room, leaving her to stare after him.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Sesshoumaru arrived at his parent's house less than a quarter of an hour later. He paused before getting out of his car, trying to think up a way to bring up the topic of the wedding. Giving up, he walked to the front door. After looking around briefly he found his parents in the kitchen where Izayoi was preparing lunch.

"You should've told us you were coming!" his father said with a grin as he saw his son standing in the doorway. When there was no response, he waved him over and made him sit in the chair beside him.

"Hello, dear," Izayoi said with a smile as she placed a glass of lemonade in front of him. "Would you like some lunch?"

"No thank you. Rin said she would make some."

"Speaking of her, where is your lovely fiancée?" his father asked, winking at his son.

"At home."

"You really ought to start planning the wedding, you know," Izayoi said from the counter where she was slicing bread.

Sesshoumaru breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that he wouldn't have to find a way to bring up the topic.

"Actually," he said quietly. "That's what I came to speak to you about."

"Oh?" Inutaisho asked, raising his eyebrow in curiosity.

"Yes. I just wanted to say that we aren't getting married anytime soon."

"Why's that, dear?" Izayoi asked, turning around to look at her stepson.

"Neither of us is ready yet." He paused and then looked at his parents. "Please do not try to pressure us to marry until we are both ready."

Inutaisho laughed and clapped his son on the back. "You should tell that to Izayoi, you know how she is about weddings."

"That's what I'm doing."

Said woman sighed and looked at Sesshoumaru. "Very well, if that is what you want." She looked over at Inutaisho with a fond smile. "You know, it really isn't all that bad."

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "I've got to get home."

That said, he left the house and went home to where he knew Rin waited for him. He opened the front door and was immediately tackled by a small person. Akiko had obviously been waiting for his return and couldn't hide her excitement. She smiled happily as she looked up at the tall man who merely bent down to pick her up before walking into the kitchen where Rin was preparing lunch.

"You're just in time!" she said with a radiant smile. "I've just finished."

Nodding, Sesshoumaru took the child over to the sink and sat her down on counter while he washed his hands and then hers. He placed her in a seat to his left and opposite her mother as they began their meal.

"How did it go?" Rin asked as she placed a sandwich on Akiko's plate.

"No problems. It's sorted now."

"Good," she turned and gave him another beautiful smile that made his heart do somersaults.

"Izayoi can be very persuasive," he said as he turned his gaze from her to his food. "Be careful she doesn't push you into anything."


	10. Chapter 10

**AN**: I wasn't really sure how to follow up the last chapter. There wasn't really much thought behind that and I apologize for such an inadequate chapter. Hopefully this one will be better :)

**Chapter 10**

True to her word, Izayoi didn't mention wedding preparations. Rin was able to focus on her life with her little family and began to ponder her future. Truthfully, she looked forward to being Mrs Sesshoumaru Takahashi, but she wasn't entirely sure if he was looking forward to it as much as she was. It bothered her, but she didn't allow herself to linger on that thought for too long.

Several days later, Rin was seated in her office at work when her phone rang. Having had a bad morning, she looked up from her work, pen poised over a sheet of paper, and glared at the phone. For several moments, she glared at the offending apparatus with a glare worthy of Sesshoumaru himself, almost as though she were willing it to stop with just her gaze. After not succeeding, she sighing irritably and picked up the receiver.

"Yes?"

"I've just had an urgent delivery, would you like me to bring it in?" her secretary asked tentatively, knowing how hectic Rin's morning had been.

"Please."

After putting the phone down, she looked back at the papers in front of her and put her signature at the bottom of several sheets of paper before looking up to see her secretary coming through the door. The woman placed an envelope on the desk and retreated hastily. With a sigh, Rin reached for it and opened it carelessly, pulling the papers out and spreading them across her desk.

Her eyes widened as they flicked across the papers. She leaned back in her chair with another sigh, rubbing her eyes as she did so. Not knowing what to do, she picked up the papers and her jacket as she left. Within moments she had left the building and was making her way towards her car.

Shortly after, she had pulled into the car park beside Sesshoumaru's own car. Rin made her way across the car park towards the doors of the building, pulling her jacket over her shoulders as she went. The receptionist looked up when she heard the clicking of heels on the tiled floor. She frowned when she recognised the woman striding towards her purposefully. Her black skirt swayed as she walked and her white blouse hugging her figure under her jacket. So this was Sesshoumaru's wife? She didn't seem very special. The receptionist glared at Rin and ignored her for several minutes before deciding to help her.

"Can I help you?" she asked Rin in an icy tone.

"I'd like to know what floor Sesshoumaru Takahashi's office is on please," Rin asked politely, trying to ignore her thumping heart.

"I'm afraid he's too busy to see visitors at the moment."

Rin closed her eyes and was about to respond when a voice called her name. Turning around, she saw Inuyasha walking into the building. He walked towards her with a smile and led her away towards the elevators, much to the receptionist's irritation.

"You here to Sesshoumaru?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Be careful," Inuyasha warned. "He's not in the best of moods."

Rin shrugged. "Neither am I."

Inuyasha laughed and patted her shoulder. "That's why you're a perfect match for each other."

Inuyasha led her to Sesshoumaru's office and held the door open for her. She thanked him and walked into the office. His secretary nodded politely at her and motioned for her to go inside. Thanking her, Rin knocked gently on the door and pushed it open when she heard a deep voice mutter something from the other side. She closed it behind her and walked up to the desk where Sesshoumaru sat, not noticing her presence. When he finally looked up, his eyes widened as he saw her.

"Rin," he said quietly, getting to his feet and walked around to stand beside her. "What are you doing here?"

She paused and looked out the window behind his desk for a moment before looking up to meet his piercing amber gaze. All the emotions she had felt before leaving her office hit her full force. Much to Sesshoumaru's surprise, tears started to gather in her eyes as she clutched an envelope tightly.

"What's the matter?" he asked urgently, his hands coming up to hold her shoulders gently.

Rin shook her head blindly, tears streaming down her face as she held out the envelope. "That."

Not knowing what was going on, Sesshoumaru took the envelope and led Rin to the sofa where they sat down as he read through the papers. They sat in silence for several minutes. When he looked up, he saw Rin's eyes still were still full of tears and he was at a loss for what to say.

"Rin…" he started, unsure how to continue.

"What if he tries to take her away?" she asked in a whisper so low he wasn't sure he heard her right.

"He only wants to see her. He is her biological father after all."

"Will you come with me?"

"Of course."

Rin nodded and sighed, allowing herself to be drawn into a comforting embrace by Sesshoumaru. Akiko's biological father wanted to see her. It was difficult for Rin to let the information sink in when the main thought in her head was if he would take away her daughter. She allowed her tears to fall unchecked as Sesshoumaru held her close.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

True to his word, Sesshoumaru accompanied Rin when she met Akiko's biological father. The meeting had been arranged for a secluded park where they could meet privately. Rin had dressed the little girl in her prettiest dress and made sure to put the yellow flower Sesshoumaru had given her in her hair like she requested. The child was now accustomed to living with Sesshoumaru and took great pleasure in spending time with him. Rin smiled as she watched the girl run up to her "husband" and ask excitedly if he liked her dress, she grinned when he said he did.

Now they sat on a bench in the park waiting patiently for the unknown man to appear. Akiko soon grew bored and begged Sesshoumaru to push her on the swings. He agreed and they disappeared, leaving Rin to watch on with a smile. A voice caught her attention after a while.

"Are you Rin?" a polite male voice asked.

"Yes, I am," she said, turning to look at the tall male who had arrived.

"I'm Oshiro Hiten," he said extending a hand.

Rin smiled and shook his hand politely, acutely aware of his gaze sweeping up and down her. Turning around, she saw Sesshoumaru walking over to her where he set the girl down before sitting on the bench previously vacated by Rin after nodding at the man. Hiten nodded a greeting at him, but his gaze was drawn to the little girl who stood clutching Rin's hand. Said woman knelt down beside the girl.

"Aki, there's someone I'd like you to meet," she said quietly.

"Who?" the girl asked excitedly, looking from Rin to Sesshoumaru expectantly.

"This is Hiten," Rin gestured to the tall man who looked down at them. "He's your father."

There was silence for a moment as everyone in the small group let the information sink in. Sesshoumaru leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, watching the scene with interest. Rin chewed her lip nervously as she waited for a reaction that never seemed to come while Hiten knelt down in front of Akiko and smiled slightly.

"Hello Akiko," he said gently.

The girl stared at him for a moment before shaking her head.

"He's not my dad," she said, frowning at Hiten.

Rin sighed. "Yes Aki, he is."

"No he's not," she repeated stubbornly.

Rin frowned, not sure what to say. "Aki…"

"That's my dad!" Akiko said, pointing at Sesshoumaru and moved to stand next to him, her small hand gripping his shirt sleeve.

The group stared at the little girl in surprise. Sesshoumaru's jaw would have dropped had he been a lesser man, but as it was he merely looked intently at the girl. Rin gaped. Akiko had never said anything like that before.

"It's alright," Hiten said, standing up with a vague smile. "I thought something like this would happen. I'm just glad she's well looked after. She'll understand when she's older."

Rin nodded dumbly as she watched Akiko move closer to Sesshoumaru and wrap both her small arms around his neck. After a moment, Sesshoumaru picked her up and sat her on his knee, an arm holding her in place. Hiten smiled and nodded at Sesshoumaru and Rin before taking his leave. All in all, the meeting had been anti-climatic. Rin was pleased that the man had not tried to take her daughter from her, but in a way she felt sorry for him. It must've been hard to be rejected by his own child. Still, both she and Sesshoumaru had been left with something to think about. What will they do now that Akiko had so obstinately declared him to be her father?


	11. Chapter 11

**AN:** Thank you for the reviews for the last chapter :)

**Chapter 11**

After a long discussion in the days that followed the meeting with Hiten, Sesshoumaru and Rin had come to the conclusion that the best solution to their problem would be if he was indeed her father. It simply meant making the formalities of changing Akiko's name and adoption documents earlier than they had intended. However, they also both agreed that it would be better in the long run if they were to be married so that they could truly be a family. Or at least try to be.

When Rin had told her about the news to start planning the wedding, Izayoi had been ecstatic and within an hour, Kagome had been informed as well. The pair had arrived at Rin's door and had quite literally dragged her to the living room where they piled magazines and albums onto every available surface. Sesshoumaru had raised an eyebrow in mild amusement when he walked through the room on his way to the kitchen for drinks for himself and Akiko, who was working hard on her school work in his office. Rin looked completely bewildered and had a slightly panicked expression as she sat between the two women who showed her page after page of dresses, flowers and anything else they could lay their hands on.

After a couple of hours, Izayoi and Kagome left Rin to read through the albums and magazines. Rin saw them out the door and sat down heavily on the sofa and gazed around at the piles of reading material. She sighed and leaned her head back against the sofa and closed her eyes when she realised what the time was. It was nearly 10pm when the two women finally left and Rin felt utterly exhausted and completely lost. She raised her head when she heard quiet talking and smiled as she saw Sesshoumaru walking out of Akiko's bedroom. He came into the living room and smirked at Rin's tired expression.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" he questioned.

"I wish I had never told them," she moaned quietly, burying her face in her hands.

"They would have found out eventually," he said as he sat down beside her, his gaze running over everything scattered across the tables.

"You're right. I didn't expect all that though."

He smiled at her slightly and patted her shoulder gently before leaning forward to pick up a magazine with wedding dresses on the front. As he flicked through it his expression changed as he clearly didn't like what he saw in that particular magazine. Rin giggled as she watched him reach for another magazine and he grimaced as he held it out showing her a dress.

"They're not going to make you wear something like that are they?" he asked in pained voice.

Rin glanced at the short dress and grinned. "I don't know, I quite like it," she said in a teasing voice and laughed at his appalled expression. "Don't worry; it'll be something a lot nicer than that."

"Good."

Rin curled up on the sofa beside him and looked over his shoulder as he flicked through several more magazines in silence. She smiled as she watched his lip curl in disgust at several of the images he saw. They sat in silence for so long that when Sesshoumaru looked up, he saw Rin asleep on the sofa beside him. He smiled slightly at her peaceful expression and brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face. She sighed and shifted in her sleep much to his amusement. After watching her for a few moments, he sighed and stretched as he stood up. Turning around, he picked up her sleeping form and made his way to the bedroom where he laid her down on the bed.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Rin avoided spending time with Izayoi and Kagome for the next few days, trying to accustom herself to the idea of actually getting married. Eventually, she decided that she needed to start preparing for the date they had set. It was only 3 months away and there seemed to be a lot to do in a short space of time.

She had been sitting in her office for at least two hours with very little to do and her mind wandering. Eventually, deciding to put aside the little work she had to do, she leaned over to her phone and called in her secretary. When the woman came in, she sat down as instructed, looking slightly confused.

"I need your help, Hitomi," Rin said as she searched through her drawers for a notebook.

"With what?"

"I need some names of venues to hold a large celebration."

"Why do you need that?"

Rin paused in her search and looked over at the woman thoughtfully. Hitomi had been Rin's secretary since she had first set up the business and they had become good friends. She knew that she could trust Hitomi, but she really didn't think confiding in her about the wedding would be a good idea. Looking back at her drawer, she shrugged her shoulders.

"The family has a big celebration coming up and they asked me to help with preparations," she said, carefully avoiding her friend's gaze.

"Oh, alright," Hitomi said and started to recite names of places for Rin.

Once she had found her notebook, Rin took down the names hurriedly and gaped at the length of the list when she was done. She nodded her thanks to her friend and waited until she had left to start finding telephone numbers for the various venues. She sat at her desk writing telephone numbers and addresses down for most of the afternoon and left the office a couple of hours early to look at some of the venues on her way to pick up Akiko.

Rin sighed as she opened the door to the house and followed Akiko to the living room where a voice could be heard. She prayed it wasn't Izayoi or Kagome and she heaved a sigh of relief when she saw Sesshoumaru on the phone. He waved at her and hugged Akiko, but carried on speaking, his tone hardening by the second. Eventually, he put the phone down and sighed.

"Something wrong?" Rin asked as she put Akiko's bag down on the table and pulled out her homework books.

"Just someone from work giving me problems," he said quietly.

Rin sat down on the sofa beside him and pulled the notebook out of her bag. She flicked through the pages and crossed names off the list, shortening it considerably. Smiling, she sat back with a sigh of relief. Sesshoumaru looked over her shoulder curiously.

"What's that?"

"I've been looking at places to hold the reception," she said. "I've shortened the list to the best three and I need your opinion on them."

"I see."

"We need to see them soon so we can book it in advance."

"We shall go tomorrow."

She grinned and closed her notebook. "I'll go start dinner."

As she said that, Akiko came in and picked up her books, looking expectantly at Sesshoumaru. He smiled at her and led her away into his study where they would remain until dinner.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Rin and Sesshoumaru arrived at the first venue with Akiko in tow. Sesshoumaru recognised it instantly as the favoured place to hold functions by the wealthiest members of the city. He wrinkled his nose at the thought of holding the reception here but followed Rin inside to look around anyway. Fortunately, she didn't like the place and soon they were off to the second location.

The second location was again sometimes favoured by the wealthy and he began to wonder if she was choosing these locations to suit his family rather than herself. It was her wedding after all; she should enjoy it more than everyone else. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye as she looked around the room critically. She didn't seem impressed with this place either and he hoped that the third location would be better than the first two.

They arrived at an old building on the outskirts of town. It seemed that at one it may have been a fabulous home for a very wealthy member of society. The building had been restored and was looking very good considering how old it probably was. It was surrounded by large gardens with lush vegetation. Large trees lined the road leading up to it and the branches met in a canopy above the road. Smiling, Rin stepped out of the car and followed Sesshoumaru as they met the building's caretaker who said that the flowers on the trees were due to bloom at any time now, making the canopy above the road beautiful.

Sesshoumaru was stunned that such a place existed. He and Akiko followed Rin and the caretaker into the building hand in hand silently taking in the magnificent architecture. The hall of the house was large and wood panelled with several doors leading off it. A large archway led to what could only be described as a ballroom from a fairy tale. Evidently this was where the owners had entertained during their time at this place. Large windows flooded the room with sunlight and the wooden floor gleamed. One glance at Rin's smiling face told him that this was definitely where they would be holding the reception. He certainly didn't have a problem with that, the place was magnificent.

After booking the house, Rin promised to be in touch with the caretaker to discuss decoration of the house. She slid into the seat beside Sesshoumaru before he drove off down the road towards town.

"That house was lovely, wasn't it?" she asked with a smile.

"It was."

"Are you happy with that place?"

"Of course," he smiled to reassure her. "What's next on the 'to do' list?"

"Uh," she paused and looked for her notebook. "Flowers apparently."

He smirked. "I'm sure you can take care of that easily."

"Hopefully."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

For the many weeks that followed, Rin had very little time to spend with either Sesshoumaru or Akiko. She knew they wouldn't mind, but she missed the time they spent together. Most of her time was spent with Izayoi and Kagome finalising the details of the rapidly approaching wedding. Sesshoumaru mostly left the decision making to the women, giving his opinion only when asked. Fortunately, Rin seemed understand his tastes and there was very little that he objected to.

There were only a few days to go before the wedding and Rin was panicking. She worried constantly that something would go wrong and upset the perfect day she had spent so long planning, despite reassurances from Kagome, Izayoi and Sesshoumaru. She stood in the store trying on dress after dress, trying to find one she liked. After an hour, she stepped out of the dressing room and looked around the store again. She flicked through the dresses, examining each one and eventually, she caught her breath as she pulled out one dress.

"Have you found one you like?" Kagome asked, coming over to her friend.

"I think so."

Kagome smiled and took the dress from Rin, looking it over with a critical eye. She had to agree that this was truly a beautiful dress. Putting it into Rin's hands, she pushed her friend into the dressing room once more, eager to see what it looked like. After a few moments, Rin pushed the curtain back and walked out. Kagome gasped and grinned.

"I think you found the right one, Rin," she said, clapping her hands happily.

Rin smiled and turned to look at her reflection in a nearby mirror and gasped at what she saw. The long dress touched the floor as she stood in her bare feet. The soft white fabric clung to the curves of her upper body and flowed down in waves from her hips. Her upper back was left bare and the strapless bodice showed her curves nicely. A floral pattern had been embroidered into the bodice in silver thread that stood out against the pristine fabric.

"This is the one I want," she whispered as her friend came to stand behind her.

"Consider this your wedding present from me," Kagome said with a wink and disappeared, leaving Rin staring after her in shock.

"You didn't have to pay for it, Kagome," she said as they left the store with the dress.

"I know, but I wanted to get you something special and I can't think of anything better than that."

At a loss for what to say next, Rin followed her friend as they went back home to finish the last few details before trying to relax before the big day.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

When the day finally dawned, Rin stood nervously in the dressing room at the Church watching Kagome and Izayoi fussing over Akiko and Taiki. The latter was not happy in the slightest about having to wear such formal attire while Akiko relished in the attention from the older ladies. She had insisted that the yellow flower be put in her hair and had threatened tears when Kagome tried to take it out. Eventually, it was Rin's turn and both women put their best efforts into making her look beautiful.

Outside, the guests were arriving in a steady flow and the air was full of excitement. The family had known that the press would catch wind of this event and had decided the best way to cover what was really happening was to claim that the pair were renewing their vows. The guests were close family friends and all knew the true situation.

In contrast to the excitement outside, Sesshoumaru stood in front of a mirror in his dressing room trying and failing to fix his tie. He swore quietly and wished for the umpteenth time that Rin was here to fix it like she normally did. Seeing his son's difficulties, Inutaisho fixed the tie and patted him on the shoulder with a grin.

"Still can't fix those, huh?" he asked in a teasing tone. "How do you manage?"

"Rin does them."

Inutaisho and Inuyasha laughed loudly as Sesshoumaru glared at the pair. Once they had quietened down, they left the room and went into the room where the guests waited after seeing the time. They smiled and greeted everyone happily while Sesshoumaru followed them silently, nodding to the people that shouted their congratulations to him. He took his place at the altar beside the priest and fiddled with the cuffs on his suit. The priest sent him a sympathetic look when he noticed the man's nervousness and gave him an encouraging smile which was returned with a polite nod.

The music announcing the entrance of the bride began and drew everyone's eyes to the back of the room as they collectively rose to their feet. Taiki came down the aisle first carrying the rings with a look of discomfort on his face which earned a chuckle from the congregation. Kagome and Akiko followed, hand in hand. Unnoticed, Izayoi slipped into her place beside Inutaisho to watch the procession. Her husband took her hand in his with a smile before turning back to his daughter-in-law and grandchild.

There was a pause and then Sesshoumaru's gaze was drawn to the archway at the back of the room where Rin stood, earning a gasp from the congregation. His eyes followed the trailing floral pattern on her dress that lead up her bodice and felt his hands itch to run his hand over her curves. She clutched a bouquet of red roses and a simple silver necklace hung around her neck, her face hidden by a veil that covered her shoulders.

When she reached the altar and stood beside him, he reached down to lift the veil and as he did so, his eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat. Her dark hair had been pinned back in an elegant bun and she looked up at him shyly through her thick dark lashes. She looked stunning. He had always thought she was beautiful, but she looked exceptional today and he knew no words powerful enough to describe how she looked.

He barely managed to pay attention to what was being said as he stood beside her, transfixed by her beauty. He held her hand in a gentle but strong grip after slipping the ring onto her finger. She looked so radiant that he was afraid that if he let go, she would disappear. Rin smiled happily up at him when the priest announced them husband and wife and it took every inch of Sesshoumaru's self control not to deepen the kiss they shared.

They turned toward the congregation and were met with cheers and laughter. Izayoi stood beside her husband smiling happily and wiping tears from her eyes while Kagome was positively wailing into Inuyasha's shoulder. Akiko and Taiki skipped down the aisle ahead of them happily as newlyweds headed for the door to start their new life as Mr and Mrs Takahashi.


	13. Chapter 13

**AN:** Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! :D

**Chapter 13**

The wedding went without problem and so did the reception afterwards. Rin was led to a limousine that waited outside the church by Sesshoumaru. Akiko and Taiki waved happily at them from where they stood beside Inuyasha and Kagome. Soon, they arrived at the reception venue to find their guests already there and most were seated. There was applause throughout the room as Sesshoumaru walked into the room with Rin on his arm; smiling and nodding happily to the people she passed.

Once they were seated, they were immediately served tall glasses of champagne. When everyone was silent, Inuyasha rose to his feet and grinned in a way that made Sesshoumaru groan softly in his seat beside Rin.

"I'm not one for long speeches," Inuyasha said, still grinning. "In fact, I don't think there's a lot really to say about Sesshoumaru. He's quiet to the point of being antisocial and bad tempered. Not much else to him really. Regardless, I'm glad he finally found the woman who manages to tolerate him. How she does it will most likely remain a mystery to me. Please join me in wishing them the best of luck in their marriage."

Rin blushed as she watched everyone around her and Sesshoumaru rise to their feet and raise their glasses. Her eyes followed Sesshoumaru as he rose to his feet and towered over her as he looked thoughtfully over the tables where the guests sat.

"Thank you Inuyasha. That was kind of you. Really there's not much to say but to thank everyone for coming today. Rin and I appreciate it." At the mention of Rin, he looked down at her, causing her to blush again. "Speaking of giving thanks, I must give mine to this woman. The woman, who, as Inuyasha puts it, manages to tolerate me. I thank her for tolerating me, for completing my life and for not turning away from a challenge." His eyes found hers as he said the last words and she knew what he referred to. She blushed and looked down as he raised his glass and everyone else followed suit.

When the speeches were done everyone sat down to the meal which passed quickly and without incident. Akiko briefly came up to them to give them each a hug before disappearing off with Taiki. Soon, the pair found themselves dragged onto the dance floor while everyone watched expectantly as the couple prepared for their first dance. Rin found herself blushing again at the thought of dancing with Sesshoumaru – at the thought of being that close to him.

Summoning her courage, she smiled as she accepted his hand and was led out onto the dance floor. She caught a wink from Inuyasha and an encouraging grin from Kagome and her smile grew. The music started and she felt Sesshoumaru wrap an arm around her waist and her breath caught in her throat. She admonished herself, he'd done this before, now was no different. As much as she told herself that, she knew it wasn't true. This time **was** different. It was special because he wouldn't be wrapping his arms around anyone but her from now on. The thought gave her some much needed courage and she launched herself wholeheartedly into the dance. With one hand on his shoulder and the other clasped in his warm hand, she followed his lead as they moved gracefully across the floor, oblivious to the eyes of the crowd.

"It's so beautiful," Izayoi said happily, wiping a tear from her eye again as Kagome nodded vehemently beside her.

"They make a good couple," Inutaisho added, wrapping an arm around both women with a grin.

The dance came to an end far too quickly for Sesshoumaru's liking. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed other couples moving onto the dance floor and sighed inwardly. For a moment it had felt like they were the only people in the room. He hated the cliché, but it felt magical. It was like holding her in his arms for the first time. Sesshoumaru returned her smile slightly and pulled her closer as a new song started. He smirked as he heard her sigh in contentment and rest her head against his shoulder.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Several hours later, Sesshoumaru was leading Rin out to the limousine with the crowds waving them off. They paused briefly to say good bye to Akiko and she just grinned, giving them both a hug. As the car drove away, Rin leaned back against the seat and sighed.

"Where are we going now?" she asked.

"To pick up the suitcases."

Rin gasped. She had forgotten that Sesshoumaru was planning to take her away on honeymoon. Looking at him, she caught her breath as she saw the tender look in his eyes before he glanced out the window at the approaching house.

"Where are we going?"

"That's a secret," he said with an uncharacteristic wink as he walked down the corridor to the bedroom.

Less than two hours later, the pair had arrived at the airport and were comfortably seated on board the Takahashi family's private plane. Sesshoumaru carefully avoided Rin's gaze as she seemed to be intent on finding out their destination. Eventually she gave up and after the dinner, she fell asleep in her chair opposite him. He smiled as he watched her sleep and then dosed off himself.

When Rin woke up, she found herself moving and then felt herself deposited on a seat. Her eyes blinked open and she gazed around in confusion before she recognized Sesshoumaru standing beside a desk in front of her talking to a woman who was clearly attempting to flirt. Rin shook her head with a slight smile and walked over to where he stood.

"Ah, you're awake," he said as he gave her a tender look. "I was just asking this lady for the keys to our room."

"Is that so?" she asked, smiling up at him. "Where are we?"

"You'll see when we get to our room."

"Your keys," the receptionist said in a stilted voice as she pushed the keys across the counter. "Your bags will be brought up shortly."

"Let's go," Sesshoumaru nodded in the direction of the elevators and took Rin's hand.

As they exited the elevator, they found their bags had already been brought to the room and Rin sighed happily as she looked at the large bed in the middle of the bedroom. The hotel Sesshoumaru had booked them into was truly amazing. She watched as he shrugged his suit jacket off and slung it casually over the back of a nearby chair and turned to look at her.

"It's nearly 7pm," he said quietly. "Let's unpack and get changed before we get some dinner."

Sesshoumaru watched as she nodded and pulled her suitcase onto the bed and began unpacking. In a surprisingly short amount of time, she had finished and had started on his own suitcase. He smiled and gave her a brief hug before picking out some clothes and laying them on the bed. Rin returned his smile and picked up some clothes of her own and disappeared into the bathroom, unaware of Sesshoumaru's gaze following her every movement. When she emerged a few minutes later, she found him changed and seated calmly in the living room with a glass of water in his hand.

"I see you're ready," she said with a smile as she caught his attention.

He nodded and looked up to see her dressed in a knee length red dress. Her long hair hung over her shoulder as she completed the braid and secured it. She smiled when she looked up and slipped her feet into a pair of shoes before walking towards him. Sesshoumaru rose to his feet as she approached, his gaze captivated by the mesmerizing sway of her hips in the figure hugging dress.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Rin sat at a table in an outside restaurant looking over the menu with interest. The night was warm and the stars shone brightly over the candlelit tables. Once the meals were ordered, she turned to look at her partner who was leaning back comfortably in his chair, looking at her thoughtfully.

"Are you going to tell me where we are now?" she asked with a playful smile.

"I would have thought that you had figured out where we are by now," was his response.

"I mean whereabouts we are," she laughed. "I know where we are, if that makes sense."

"Venice."

Her eyes widened and her smile grew even larger, if possible. She grabbed his hand and clasped it between both of hers in anticipation. "Really?"

"Really," he said with amusement in his voice.

After the brief conversation, they spent most of the meal in companionable silence. Sesshoumaru gazed around at the other tables after the meal and smirked when he realised they were clearly not the only newlywed couple in the establishment. Some of them truly made that fact completely obvious. On the table closest to them, he watched the man lean across the table and take the woman's hand, bring it up to his lips. She giggled girlishly and blushed. Shaking his head slightly, Sesshoumaru turned his attention back to Rin who was looking at the view with a smile on her face.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked as he noticed that she had finished her meal.

"Yes."

As soon as the meal had been paid for, they rose from their table and made their way to the exit. Once they were out on the street, Sesshoumaru guided them back towards the hotel, making sure to take the scenic route. Happy couples walked past them and vendors offered their wares as they passed. Rin stopped every now and then to look at something or talk to the vendors briefly, laughing happily. Sesshoumaru watched with a vague smile, pleased that she was enjoying herself.

They passed a gondolier casually leaning against a building beside a canal when an idea occurred to Sesshoumaru. He took Rin's hand and led her over to where the man stood. After a brief conversation with the man, Rin found herself being guided down into the boat by Sesshoumaru. Once seated, she turned to look at him with confused eyes only for him to smile.

"I thought it might be pleasant to ride a boat back to the hotel instead of walk," he said.

Rin was speechless. She stared at Sesshoumaru for a moment. She didn't know he had it in him to be romantic and yet he had surprised her again. Giving him another of her radiant smiles, she turned her gaze to the scenery around her. After a moment, she felt a hand closing around hers. She smiled inwardly and moved closer to Sesshoumaru and laid her head against his shoulder as she felt his arm snake around her waist. He breathed a silent sigh of relief as he felt her relax against him and allowed himself to enjoy the ride, praying that this would be the beginning of something good.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The two weeks Sesshoumaru and Rin spent out of town was blissful and she was almost sad to be going back to town, but she was looking forward to seeing her daughter again. The pair arrived outside Inuyasha's house where Akiko was staying the day after they got back. The door opened almost immediately and Rin found herself almost bowled over by the little girl. Sesshoumaru held onto her shoulders, helping her balance and nodded at his brother who stood leaning against the doorframe with a grin.

"Did you have a good time?" Kagome asked as they all sat down in the living room.

"It was enjoyable," Sesshoumaru responded in his usual curt tone.

"Just enjoyable? You were with your wife!" Kagome said in exasperation.

"Really, it was lovely," Rin said with a laugh as Akiko buried herself in her lap.

"Where did you go?" Inuyasha curiously.

"The country house," his brother responded.

After their brief catch up and a promise to meet soon, the trio left and went home with Akiko happily telling the two adults what she had been doing while they were away. Sesshoumaru looked over at Rin with amusement in his eyes and she returned his smile as she responded to Akiko's questions about where they went. She faltered when the child asked why they went away and looked at Sesshoumaru for help.

"It's a secret." he said.

"Can't you tell me?" Akiko asked.

"You'll find out when you're older," he responded with a smirk.

He pulled into their driveway and stopped the car. Rin grinned as she followed Akiko up the path to the front door with Sesshoumaru following behind carrying the child's small suitcase casually over his shoulder. He couldn't help but smile as Rin tumbled onto the sofa as Akiko tackled her in a hug.

"Did you bring me something back?" the child asked, looking up with excited eyes.

"We did," Sesshoumaru said softly as he placed a bag down onto the seat beside the pair.

The two adults watched in amusement as Akiko slowly opened the bag and unwrapped the gift with wide eyes. The wrapping fell away to reveal a small box containing a small porcelain doll in elegant clothes and a beautifully painted face. Akiko's hands trembled as they hovered over the box that sat on her lap and she gasped in amazement.

"Do you like it?" Rin asked with a smile as Sesshoumaru sat down beside the pair.

Akiko nodded vehemently. "She's pretty."

"Be careful," Rin warned as she ruffled her daughter's hair affectionately. "She breaks easily."

The child nodded and smiled as she thanked them and disappeared to her bedroom with the doll clutched tightly against her chest.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The next day dawned and everyone was back to their normal routines. Rin mourned the loss of her free time as she helped Akiko choose a dress for school and accompanied her downstairs where Sesshoumaru sat at the breakfast table reading the newspaper.

"Morning!" Akiko said happily as she slid into a seat to his right.

"Did you sleep well?" Sesshoumaru asked, looking over the top of his paper at the little girl.

"Yes!" she said as she picked up the glass of juice Rin had just given her.

Rin sighed as she sat down opposite the child after serving everyone's breakfast. Sesshoumaru looked at her curiously for a moment and seemed to understand that she was reluctant to return to work. He smiled slightly as he put the dishes in the sink after eating quickly. Turning back to face the seated pair, he ruffled Akiko's hair before saying his goodbyes.

Many hours later, Rin was sitting in her office going through the mail that had collected during her absence. Glancing at her watch, she realised that it was almost time to go and collect Akiko from school. Akiko was going to spend the afternoon with Izayoi and Sesshoumaru would pick her up on his way home later that night. She sighed and was suddenly very grateful her new mother-in-law was so attached to her daughter. She didn't think that Akiko would enjoy spending the afternoon in her office.

Picking up her jacket, Rin left her office and slipped into her car with a sigh of weariness. It was hard slipping back into the work routine again. Shaking her head, she set off towards the school where she stopped and adjusted her hair before setting out the car. She smiled as she watched the few remaining children playing. Most other children had already been collected and as usual, she expected to see Akiko sitting on the swings with a book open on her lap. A frown creased her brow as she scanned the play area and saw no trace of the child. Determined not to let panic set in, she walked into the building and walked to up to the teacher in charge.

"May I help you?" the teacher asked.

"I'm looking for my daughter. Do you know where she is?"

"What is her name?"

"Akiko."

"Ah yes!" the teacher smiled as she thought of the child. "Her father came to collect her only 10 minutes ago."

"Her father?" Rin asked in confusion, wondering why Sesshoumaru had collected Akiko without telling her. "Sesshoumaru Takahashi?"

"Oh no! I believe you are mistaken. That gentleman collects Taiki. This man said his name was Hiten, he didn't leave a last name though."

Rin gulped and felt a knot form in her stomach. "Thank you for your help."

She left the building and made her way quickly to the car and was soon driving towards her new destination. As soon as she arrived, she ran up to the front of the building, her heels clicking as she hastily made her way into the reception area. Frantically looking around, she saw no one she knew and with a small sigh, she walked up to the receptionist as calmly as possible, although she knew her appearance gave away her distress.

"Is something wrong, miss?" a man beside the reception desk asked with concern.

"I need to see Sesshoumaru Takahashi immediately. It's very important," she said in one breath.

"I'm afraid is in a meeting at the moment with his brother. You could wait for him to finish although I can't say when the meeting will end."

"I'll wait," she said, having no intention of waiting if the meeting was only with Inuyasha.

"Very well. Do you know where his office is?"

"Yes, thank you for your help."

As she made her way towards the elevators, she saw a crowd of people waiting and she turned around and ran for the stairs instead. There was no time to wait for crowded elevators. She ran up the stairs as fast as she could and soon she was running down the long corridor leading to Sesshoumaru's office, ignoring the curious looks she got from employees. After pulling the door to his office open, Rin noted that his secretary wasn't there and she breathed a small sigh of relief as she ran across to the large door leading into his office.

The door to his office burst open and Sesshoumaru looked up in annoyance from the papers he and his brother were discussing. Surely his secretary had learnt from the last time she had burst in like this? However, his breath caught in his throat as he looked up and saw Rin leaning against the door, panting heavily as though she had just run a marathon. Inuyasha straightened up from where he had been leaning over Sesshoumaru's desk and looked at his sister-in-law with concern while Sesshoumaru rose to his feet as said woman staggered towards them with a frantic expression. Her hair hung loosely from the normally neat bun and her shirt was creased.

Stepping around his desk towards her, Sesshoumaru pushed her down into a chair and knelt in front of her trying in vain to calm her. She shook her head and pushed his hands away as she tried to tell him about Akiko, but her breath was still coming in pants and she struggled to speak coherently.

"Calm down, Rin," Sesshoumaru said with a frown as he took her hands in his ignoring her protests. "What happened?"

"Akiko!" she gasped.

Inuyasha handed her a glass of water and sat in a nearby chair as she hastily gulped the liquid down. A sudden dread filled Sesshoumaru. Although the child was not his, he was technically as much her father now as Rin was her mother. Seeing Rin this upset pained him and he was at a loss for what to do to help her.

"What happened to her?" he asked calmly, struggling with the desire to hold her tightly until her pain dissipated.

"She's gone!"

Sesshoumaru looked at up Inuyasha in hopes he could make sense of what was going on, but was met by a frown that said his brother was clearly as confused as he was. He turned back to his wife and wiped her tears away as best he could before pulling up a chair in front of her, still holding her hands.

"She's at school, isn't she?" he asked in confusion.

"No! She's not!"

"Where is she then?"

"Hiten took her away," she said in a voice that was barely a whisper as her tears cascaded down her cheeks. "He took away my little girl!" she said quietly more to herself than anyone else as she leaned towards Sesshoumaru, her sobs wracking her slim frame.

"Hiten did?" Sesshoumaru asked, rubbing his hands up and down her back, trying to comfort her. "When did he do that?"

"Today," her voice was muffled by his shirt. "He picked her up from school claiming to be her father."

The two men looked at each other in silence as the information sank it, the stillness of the room broken only by the heartbreaking sound of Rin's sobs. She leaned back to wipe away her tears as Sesshoumaru tried to think of what to do next. Fortunately, Inuyasha came to his rescue. He handed Rin a tissue and smiled gently at her.

"Don't worry, Rin," he said and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll get her back."

"H-how?" she asked brokenly, clutching Sesshoumaru's hand as she looked up at him.  
"We have a legal case against him," he said with a wink.

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened, realisation dawning. "He kidnapped her!"

"Exactly," Inuyasha said matter-of-factly. "Let's meet at the main house tonight and discuss it with mother and father. I'm sure they'd want to help too."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Later that night, Rin was sitting in the living room of the main house only half listening to what was being said. Her eyes filled with tears every time she heard her child's name and eventually she let everyone else decide what course of action to take while she simply sat beside Sesshoumaru, her face buried in his shoulder as she struggled to control her tears.

"It's exactly as you say," Inutaisho agreed upon hearing the situation. "He has indeed kidnapped her."

"Why not ask him what he wants with her?" Izayoi said calmly as she poured tea for everyone.

"It would be a better start than launching a legal case at him," Kagome agreed, picking up a cup and handing it to Rin.

"What if he won't speak to us?" Rin asked tearfully as she stared into her tea.

"Then you tell the police," Kagome replied as she watched her friend with growing concern. "If that doesn't work, then you use Inuyasha's idea."

"It seems like this will be the best course of action," Sesshoumaru agreed.

"We will get Akiko back, dear," Izayoi said with a reassuring smile as she patted Rin gently on the shoulder.

"Indeed," Inutaisho murmured. "This man has made an enemy of the wrong family and shall suffer my wrath as head of the family," he finished with a decisive nod and such a stern expression that Rin almost laughed.

"That would be a comical statement were the situation different," she noted much to the amusement of the rest of the family.

As they returned home several hours later, Rin felt emptiness within her as she wandered through the house. Usually Akiko would be running around laughing, but the place seemed desolate without her laughter. She spent a while in the child's bedroom, running her hands over her favourite toys as she lost herself in memories. Likewise, Sesshoumaru sat alone in his office and stared out the window into the dark garden. It was very rare that he was alone in this office. Akiko would come in and keep him company, as she liked to call it. Then there were the evenings when they would sit together at the desk each working on something different in content silence.

Rising from his seat, he walked towards the door, preparing to go to bed. He turned to look at the room once more and wondered how he had managed to work alone for so long. Like his father had said, Hiten had made an enemy of the wrong family and Sesshoumaru was determined to make the man pay for the pain he was causing his family.


	15. Chapter 15

**AN:** Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Sorry it took so long to update, I was having a bit of trouble trying to decide how the story should progress. Thank you to Yanaril for the review which has given me an idea for the next few chapters :D

**Chapter 15**

In the days that followed, Rin stayed at home with Sesshoumaru. She knew that attempting to work would be pointless, it just wouldn't be possible and Sesshoumaru knew that he would not be able to concentrate if he worried about Rin all day. As a result, they agreed to both stay at home until Akiko was returned. Sesshoumaru had called Hiten and had done as Izayoi had suggested. The man refused to give him any answers and claimed that he would not give Akiko back under any circumstances. This had merely frustrated Sesshoumaru and upset Rin even further.

"What next?" Rin asked, standing beside him as he held the receiver in a death grip that threatened to break it.

"We call the police."

Rin sighed and nodded before sitting down on the sofa. She had hoped that it would not come to this, but if the man was going to be stubborn, then she supposed there was no alternative. He had brought it upon himself.

After replacing the receiver, Sesshoumaru sat down beside Rin and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He was slightly stunned that their physical relationship had progressed this far. Becoming this comfortable with each other would normally have taken him ages to accept, but it seemed to come naturally to him.

"I will call the police tomorrow," he assured her as she turned on the television and stared blankly at it.

She had nodded but had given no other indication of hearing what he said. Instead she rested her head against his shoulder and sighed heavily as she closed her eyes. Silence fell and the pair stared at the images on the television screen, not really taking any notice of what was happening on the screen. After a while of silence, Rin shifted on her seat slightly causing Sesshoumaru to look down at her. He smirked when he saw her eyes closed and her breathing soft as she slept peacefully against his shoulder. Staring down at her, he revelled in the feeling that someone felt this comfortable around him.

Eventually, he wrapped his arms around her and scooped her up as he made his way towards their bedroom. Setting her down on the bed, he slipped her shoes off before adding his own to the small pile of shoes at the bottom of the bed. Moments later, Rin stirred as she felt movement beside her. Her eyes flickered open briefly and met Sesshoumaru's own piercing amber eyes. His normally cold gaze held something so tender that her breath hitched in her throat as she looked back up at him. Much to her surprise, Sesshoumaru reached for her and pulled her close against him. Rin gasped softly, but her eyes slowly closed as his large, strong hands started rubbing gentle circles on her back in a soothing manner. She sighed happily and snuggled closer causing him to smirk.

"Sesshoumaru," she said after a couple of minutes of content silence.

"Yes?" was his gruff reply.

"I need to get up."

"Why?" he was perfectly happy with the way things were and was not overly thrilled about letting her go.

"Jeans aren't the most comfortable things to sleep in," she said with a crooked smile. "… and your suit probably isn't either."

Nodding slowly, Sesshoumaru slowly let his grip on her loosen until she had slipped away from him and disappeared towards their bathroom. With a sigh, he sat up and started to unbutton his shirt, silently agreeing that it would probably not be the best thing to sleep in. Just as he was folding his used clothes to put in the laundry, the bathroom door opened and Rin emerged. She seemed oblivious to the effect she had on him as she came out with the same calm smile she had given him before. Sesshoumaru watched as she sat down cross legged in the middle of the bed and began brushing out her long thick hair, no doubt about to put into the usual braid it was in when she slept. The short nightdress she wore rode up her legs as she sat on the bed. The low cut top showed off her chest and he found himself quite enjoying the view.

"Don't."

Rin looked up when she heard him speak. "Don't what?"

"Tie your hair back," he said, letting his eyes wonder over her exquisite body once again. "Leave it down."

Shrugging, Rin leaned over to the table beside her side of the bed and unintentionally gave him a full view of her derriere. As she fumbled around with the drawers, Sesshoumaru stood transfixed near the window. The short nightdress had stunned him despite knowing that it was one of the many he had seen in her wardrobe. The open display of cleavage made him short of breath, but the view that faced him now floored him. It was true that he was not the most emotional of men, in fact Inuyasha had spent the majority of their childhood telling him how emotionally stunted he was, but even he couldn't help but be affected by what he saw. His hands itched to run up the long slim legs that led to her perfectly rounded hips. As he tried to rid himself of such thoughts, Rin leaned forward a bit more and the dress rose higher up her hips to reveal her black underwear. Clenching his fists in the soft material of his shirt, Sesshoumaru stared at what appeared to be a black lacy thong beneath the pale blue nightdress and it took all of his impressive self control not to give in to his desires right there and then.

After what seemed like an eternity, Rin sat back for a moment before rising to her feet to slip beneath the covers. She fluffed her pillows and propped them up behind her before placing her open book on her knees. Once satisfied, she looked up at him to find him still in the same position as he had been before she got into bed. Wondering if something was wrong, she frowned and closed the book she had just opened and put it aside to turn and look at him.

"Are you going to stand there all night?" she asked, her crooked smile in place once again.

Sesshoumaru shook his head slightly and dropped the shirt over the back of a nearby chair and made his way across the room to the large bed. Quietly, he slid into the bed and started getting comfortable as Rin looked on with an expression of mild amusement. Once settle, he reached over to turn off the light but stopped when he felt Rin's arm brush against him as she snuggled into the soft bed. All incidents from the past few days forgotten, Sesshoumaru turned the light off and turned back around to face her. She looked up to meet his eyes and gave him a shy smile as she noticed their proximity. If she moved just a little bit more, she would be snugly against him, her breasts firmly pressed into his bare chest.

"You don't know what you do to me, Rin," Sesshoumaru said in a voice so soft it was barely a whisper that trembled with pent up emotion.

"Why don't you show me?" she asked in a voice that sounded more confident than she felt.

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened for a moment before he groaned and pulled her close, burying his face in her neck. Rin smirked to herself as she noticed that their position was just as she predicted, but it slipped from her face in shock as she felt Sesshoumaru nip her neck gently. Of their own accord, Rin's arms rose to wrap around his broad shoulders and pull him closer as the nips turned to kisses. One of his arms slid behind her head to give him better access to her neck while the other slid down her side to come to rest at her hip. Slowly, the kisses trailed down her neck to her chest before going back up to her lips. Sesshoumaru kissed the corner of her mouth then stopped, looking down at Rin with a thoughtful expression.

"What's wrong?" Rin asked, her voice husky.

"This will be the first time."

"First time?"

"Kissing you."

Rin's eyes widened. "We've kissed before," she said in confusion.

"Not like this."

Without giving her a chance to reply, his lips claimed hers and his tongue slipped past her slightly parted lips. She had spent hours dreaming of what it would feel like to be kissed passionately by her stoic husband and now that she was finding out, she suddenly felt overwhelmed. Rin was brought back to her senses when Sesshoumaru rolled her onto her back, never once breaking the kiss. The arm behind her neck gave him better access to her delicious mouth and caused her to arch her back, pressing her breasts even closer to him. With a low moan of pleasure, Rin wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him closer. He smirked to himself as he moved his lips back down to her neck.

Lost in bliss, Rin moaned again as he moved the hand at her hip upward and the lips at her neck down. Her fingers delved into his thick silver hair as she tried to pull him even closer. After a moment, Sesshoumaru stopped moving and leaned back slightly to look her in the eyes. She returned his gaze and blushed at his lustful expression. The hand that had been creeping up her side came up to brush a strand of dark hair away from her face and came to rest on her shoulder. Sesshoumaru low fingers wrapped around the thin strap of the nightdress and he watched her expression carefully as he let his fingers run down the strap and follow the top of the dress until his fingers came to a stop above the valley between her breasts. Her eyes widened and a blush tinted her cheeks, but she said nothing and gave him a small smile.

It was all the encouragement he needed and the hand slipped down to cup one of her voluptuous breasts in his large hand as his lips curved into a small smile and then descended to her neck. She gasped and arched her back into him as she felt his hand cup her breast and after a moment, she moaned in protest when the hand drifted down again. Sesshoumaru smirked into her neck and slid the back up her body under her nightdress causing her to gasp at the new sensation of flesh on flesh. As his hand drifted further up towards her chest, the nightdress crept up as well until eventually, when he had reached his destination; Sesshoumaru pulled it over her head to reveal unclothed save her underwear.

Sesshoumaru sat up as he threw the nightdress to the floor and gazed down at her with lustful eyes. Rin grinned and held out her arms to him, having become more confident. Leaning forward, he placed his hands on either side of her head and slowly leaned down to her lips which he captured in a passionate kiss. She returned his kiss with equal fervour and slid her arms around his neck to hold him in place as he ravished her mouth. Just as his mouth drifted down to her breasts, the shrill ringing of a phone shattered through the quiet room. Sesshoumaru stiffened above her and kept his head in place, not moving an inch. Looking at him, Rin giggled at his expression of acute annoyance. She pulled him up and pressed a kiss to his lips.

"Answer it."

"No," he said and reminded her of a petulant child.

"Why?" she giggled again.

"I'm busy," he said huskily and looked down at her, his eyes darkening with lust again.

"It might be important."

Sesshoumaru sighed, knowing she was right. He rolled off Rin and sat up on the side of the bed, picking up his mobile from the table beside the bed.

"What?" he demanded of the caller in a clipped tone.

Unbeknownst to Rin, his eyes widened as the caller identified themselves. Still, it did not excuse them from interrupting him when he was so intent on ravishing Rin's delectable body. The very thought of said body almost took his breath away and he felt the urge to slam the phone down and resume his previous activities.

Almost as though she had read his mind, Rin sat up on the bed behind him and slipped her arms loosely around his neck, pressing her chest snugly into his back. She grinned to herself as she heard him catch his breath and struggle to continue talking normally. Eventually, his responses became single words as she started trailing kisses along his shoulders, her breasts swaying against him as he moved.

After 10 minutes of conversation, Sesshoumaru put the phone down and sighed at the sensations coursing through his body. The feelings Rin was evoking in him made him wish he didn't have to tell her what he had just been told. Sighing again, he raised his hands to the arms around his neck and took her delicate hands in his. Placing a kiss on each palm, he pulled her around to sit beside him. Seeing his changed expression, Rin wrapped her arms around his shoulders and nuzzled his neck as she waited for him to speak. After a moment, Sesshoumaru wrapped his arms around Rin and sat her on his lap, burying his face in her shoulder.

"Rin," he said seriously as he looked at her. "There is something I need to tell you."

Noting his now serious behaviour, Rin began to frown slightly. "What is it?"

"It's about Akiko."

"What about her?" her eyes widened in panic.

"Hiten is not her father."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Rin stared at Sesshoumaru, her mind failing to take in what she had just heard. She looked into his eyes, hoping that it was a bad joke, but she saw only his serious amber eyes staring back at her, emotion once more wiped from his face. Sesshoumaru watched her trying to understand and felt pity for her course through his veins like venom. Not sure what to say, he merely pulled her close against him and held her tight.

"What do you mean he's not her father?" Rin asked after a moment, pulling back from him to look him in the eyes. "How do you know this?"

"After you told me that Akiko had been taken, I hired an investigator to look into Hiten's background," he said, looking her in the eye.

"Why?"

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "I'm not sure why. Something about him made me uneasy that day we met him."

"Why didn't you do anything before now then?"

"I didn't think we'd see him again." There was a pause as Rin tried to think of something to say, but he interrupted her thoughts. "Evidently I was wrong," he said softly and looked away.

Rin watched as a fleeting emotion passed across his eyes before being masked completely. Although his stoic façade was usually impossible to see past, she could see he blamed himself for Akiko being taken. Guilt rushed through her as she realised how her questions must have sounded. Tears filled her eyes and she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. Sesshoumaru looked down at her in surprise and then concern when he felt tears hit his shoulder. He grasped her shoulders and pulled her back to look at her.

"Don't cry, Rin," he murmured, gently wiping tears from her eyes.

"What do we do now?" she asked, looking up at him with tearful eyes.

"The same as we were going to do earlier."

"The police?"

He nodded. "The investigator has already informed them of the matter and given them the necessary evidence."

"So we'll get her back?" Rin asked, hope shining in her eyes.

"Of course we will."

Rin sighed and nodded, allowing herself to be comforted by the knowledge that Sesshoumaru would do all he could to get Akiko back. After a moment of silence, said man wrapped his arms around her tightly, almost as though he feared she would disappear if he let her go. Rin pressed a kiss to his temple and held him close for a moment before pulling away slightly.

"It's late," she said, gesturing to a nearby clock showing 11pm. "We should get some sleep."

Sesshoumaru nodded silently and released her somewhat reluctantly to climb beneath the covers again. As he turned to get into bed, he noticed Rin's nightdress lying on the floor a short distance away and picked it up.

"Do you want this back?" he asked, the nightdress in his hand.

Rin saw what it was and blushed slightly but shook her head. "No. It's fine."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at this but said nothing. Dropping the item of clothing on the floor beside his own clothes, he slid beneath the covers and sighed quietly to himself. Much to his surprise, Rin scooted over and snuggled into his side, her head resting on his shoulder and a small smile on her face. Eagerly, he wrapped his arms around her and settled down to sleep.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The next day, Sesshoumaru left the house early to speak with the police, but promised to return as soon as possible. When he did, he found Rin curled up in bed, fully dressed but asleep clutching his pillow tightly. With a sigh, he sat down on the bed and gently shook her awake. She gazed up at him sleepily and smiled as she sat up.

"What did they say?" she asked with a yawn.

"They have to locate him, but he will be under arrest as soon as they do."

"For kidnapping?"

"Among other things."

"Other things?!" Rin asked, suddenly afraid for her daughter.

"Nothing too serious but crimes nonetheless. Akiko will be fine. There would be no point in harming her."

"Why?"

"The police say he may contact us to try and get a ransom."

"I want my little girl back," she said softly, looking down at her hands.

"We both do," Sesshoumaru said, lifting her chin with his fingers. "We'll see her soon."

"You really care for her, don't you?" Rin asked.

"Of course I do. She's my daughter too isn't she?" he replied with a small smile.

Joy coursed through her veins and she launched herself at him, nearly knocking him off the bed in the process. They were a real family now and she couldn't be happier. She smiled into his shoulder as she felt his arms wrap around her.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Slowly, the days passed until it had been two weeks since Akiko had been taken. As the time progressed, Rin became increasingly worried she would never see the child again and Sesshoumaru became increasingly worried about her. Eventually, Sesshoumaru had to return to work, but found himself constantly thinking about Rin and had asked her to stay with either Izayoi or Kagome during the day if she felt she couldn't work. Understanding his reason, Rin had agreed.

However, one day, after nearly three weeks, Sesshoumaru received a phone call from the police. It was nearing the end of the day when he would go to his parents' house after work to collect Rin where she was spending the day with Izayoi and Kagome. Slamming the phone down, he picked up his coat and rushed out the door intent on making the trip to the house as brief as possible. Inuyasha and Inutaisho had already left for the house so there was no one but his oblivious work colleagues to see him hurry through the corridors.

Rin was sitting in the living room waiting for Sesshoumaru while Inuyasha and Inutaisho greeted their wives happily when they came in. She sighed and hoped he would arrive soon, it felt slightly awkward being around 2 couples on her own. Almost as though someone had heard her wish, the front door slammed open and Sesshoumaru came striding into the living room, much to everyone's surprise. He nodded a greeting to everyone but took Rin's hand when she stood up and hurried her out the door to his car. He promised his family he would explain later and a moment later, his car was speeding away down the road, leaving his dumbfounded relatives standing on the doorstep watching it disappear into the distance.

"What's this about, Sesshoumaru?" Rin asked, eyeing her usually calm and stoic husband carefully.

"I got a phone call earlier," he said shortly as he tried to decide on the fastest route to take.

Rin, sensing he wasn't going to tell her more, kept quiet but her eyes widened considerably when the car stopped beside the police station. She turned her gaze to Sesshoumaru who merely shrugged and opened her door for her. Stepping out, Rin followed her husband up the steps into the building, her hand firmly held in his. The place was alive with activity and officers rushed about everywhere. Eventually, one of the uniform clad men standing in the far corner of the room approached them.

"Mr. Takahashi?" he asked, warily eyeing the tall silver haired man standing before him.

"Yes."

The man nodded. "We have much to discuss, follow me please," he said as he led them to what seemed to be his office.

Taking a seat in the chair beside Sesshoumaru, Rin glanced around apprehensively. Various framed certificates hung on the walls and framed photographs decorated the man's desk among the scattered papers. Her eyes widened as they landed on one of the folders with "Akiko Takahashi" written in bold along the side. She had never taken the time to realise that she truly was Sesshoumaru's daughter now and she almost smiled at the thought. Her pleasant thoughts were broken by the officer clearing his throat.

"I apologise for contacting you on such short notice," he said.

"It's fine," Sesshoumaru said shortly. "Why did you call us here?"

The man shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Your daughter is one of the many children to have been kidnapped and we are working as hard as we can to find her."

Rin had been hoping that being called here meant that they had found her daughter, but upon hearing the officer's words, her heart started to sink in disappointment. What was the point of this meeting if they had not found her daughter? Could this not have been done over the phone?

"However, we have located a man matching the description you gave us," he said, nodding to Sesshoumaru as he spoke. "In fact we have located several men and several had a child with them."

"What does this have to do with calling us here?" Sesshoumaru asked, beginning to lose patience.

"We need you to look at the men and tell us if the man who took your daughter is among them."

Rin's eyes widened. "You mean one of them could be Hiten?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Very well. Is there anything else you need of us?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"No. If we catch this man, we will have enough evidence to send him to prison for a long time. This is but one of his many crimes. It appears that this is not the first time he has pulled such a stunt. He tried it a couple of months back in a different city, but he managed to escape the police."

"I see," Sesshoumaru said quietly as he contemplated what would happen to this criminal.

"Well," the officer said, rising to his feet and moving to the door. "Shall we go?"

Sesshoumaru and Rin followed the officer down several corridors and eventually came to a stop in front of a large room where several more officers stood. Two chairs had been placed at the back of the room and the pair were ushered towards them. Sesshoumaru leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and eyed his surroundings distastefully. A slight shift beside him caused him to look up to see Rin looking uncomfortable. He reached over and took her hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

"," the first officer said, coming over to where they sat. "We will bring the men in one at a time and you can tell us if they are the man we are looking for."

Sesshoumaru nodded and leaned back in his chair, sliding his arm along the back of Rin's chair as she smiled slightly and shifted closer to him. The door opened and a tall man with dark hair came into the room, handcuffed and followed by another officer. It was not Hiten. Sesshoumaru looked at Rin and she sighed, deflating slightly. He shook his head at the officers and then the process started again.

After half an hour and nearly 10 men, Rin was beginning to lose hope. Who would have thought there would be so many men like Hiten? Though she supposed that black haired men were fairly common and she wondered how many of these men were just innocent men, hauled here because of their unfortunate resemblance to Akiko's kidnapper. Finally, there were only two more men to see and she raised her eyes as the penultimate man entered the room and scowled at everyone present. Rin's eyes widened and she gasped, she looked up to see Sesshoumaru frowning at the man.

"Am I to take it from your reactions that this is the man we have been looking for?" the officer asked.

"Yes. This is the man," Sesshoumaru said stiffly, a murderous glint in his eyes.

The officer nodded and the handcuffed man swore loudly as he was pulled from the room.

"There will be some paperwork to be filled out," the first officer said. "I will fetch it and then you can go."

Sesshoumaru watched the man leave and Rin sighed beside him. She looked up at him again, his eyes still gleamed with murderous intent and she put a hand on his arm. He turned his attention to the woman beside him and his eyes softened slightly. Her eyes shone with hope and unshed tears. Unable to help himself, Sesshoumaru leaned down and pulled her against him, enjoying the feeling of her arms around his neck and her body close.

The officer returned moments later and smiled at the sight of the couple from the doorway. Clearing his throat, he came into the room and placed a small pile of papers in front of the pair.

"You will need to sig these papers and check that the statement is correct," he said and put a pen down beside the papers.

"Both of us?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Either of you or both, it doesn't really matter as long as there's a signature from one of you," the man said with a shrug.

Once the papers were signed, Rin sighed and leaned back in her seat as the two men talked quietly. She would be so glad when this ordeal was over and she was beginning to wonder how much more of this she could take.

Rising to her feet, she felt Sesshoumaru take her hand as they followed the officer to the entrance of the building where he stopped and spoke briefly to one of the officers nearby. Moments later, a door opened and a female officer came out of a room holding the hand of a little girl in a white dress. The girl looked down at her feet as she walked, strands of long dark hair obscuring her face. Sesshoumaru noticed the girl and nudged Rin when he saw a yellow flower clutched in her hand. Said woman turned around, saw the child and gasped. The female officer knelt down beside the child and spoke quietly into her ear causing the girl to look up quickly. Instantly, she recognised the two adults standing by the door.

"Mama!" she shouted and ran towards Rin, tears streaming down her face.

Rin knelt down and held her arms out to the crying girl, hugging her tight as she felt tears fall from her own eyes. Rising to her feet, Rin picked up the little girl and soothed the child as best she could while the officers watched the happy scene unfold with smiles. Thanking the officers gratefully, Rin allowed Sesshoumaru to lead her outside to the car. By the time they had reached it, the child had stopped crying and looked up from her mother's shoulder to see Sesshoumaru standing beside them, a tender smile pulling his lips. She leaned back and held out a hand to him.

"Papa," she said quietly as he took her small hand in his much larger one.

He stared at her in surprise and Rin looked mildly amused. It was the first time the child had called him that and it shocked him. The little girl smiled at him and sighed as she happily sat on her mother's lap as they drove back to Sesshoumaru's parents' home.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Izayoi opened the front door of the house and almost squealed with delight at what she saw. Quickly, she pulled the trio inside and led the way to the living room where everyone sat. She opened the door with a broad smile.

"Look who's back!" she exclaimed as Sesshoumaru and Rin came into the room, Akiko comfortably held in her mother's arms.

There was a moment of silence as everyone took the sight in and then the room erupted into hive of activity and noise. Kagome rushed over and showered the little girl with kisses and Izayoi disappeared to make coffee while Inutaisho and Inuyasha watched on with happy smiles. Akiko allowed herself to be handed around the room from person to person with a smile as they gave her hugs and kisses, but when she sat between Inuyasha and Inutaisho, she looked at them curiously and then across the room at Sesshoumaru who sat with his arm around Rin. Then she turned and pointed at Inutaisho who regarded her with an affectionate smile.

"You look like Papa!" she exclaimed, causing the man to blink in surprise while Inuyasha burst into laughter. "So do you!" she said, turning to point at Inuyasha.

"I don't look like him," Inuyasha managed through his laughter.

"You do!"

On the other side of the room, Rin and Sesshoumaru watched the scene unfold with mild amusement. Rin smiled at him and felt him tighten his arm around her.

"Papa now, is it?" Inutaisho asked with a vague smile at his eldest son who merely shrugged slightly.

"Who's Papa?" Inuyasha asked having calmed down.

Akiko said and jumped off the sofa and ran across the room to where her parents sat. She crawled up onto the sofa and sat between them, giving them both huge smiles before turning back to look at the two men she had just been sitting with. Leaning over, she wrapped her small arms around Sesshoumaru's torso with a grin.

"This is Papa!"

Inuyasha grinned but said nothing as Kagome came into the room carrying a sleepy Taiki. She sat down beside him and smiled at the sight of Akiko with her arms wrapped around her stoic brother-in-law.

"We should be going home," Inuyasha said as he noticed his son fast asleep.

"So should we," Sesshoumaru agreed, looking down at the girl still hugging him tightly.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Soon, Sesshoumaru and Rin were walking through their front door with a sleepy child held close. Rin disappeared down the hall to put the sleepy child in bed while Sesshoumaru headed for the bedroom. 5 minutes later, Rin came into the room with a tired but happy smile. Quickly changing into her nightdress, she slipped beneath the covers and grinned as she felt Sesshoumaru pull her against him.

He looked down at her and smiled vaguely. Leaning down, he kissed her lips gently and smirked at her sigh of contentment. Rin's smile grew when she felt his hand drifting down and coming back up beneath her nightdress. A large hand cupped one of her breasts and she parted her lips to let him deepen the kiss. After a moment, he pulled back and looked at her with a heated gaze.

"You're insatiable," she said with a giggle.

Before he could respond, there was a soft knock at the door and both adults turned to stare at it for a moment. Sighing at his bad luck, Sesshoumaru withdrew his hand and walked over to the door. Opening it, he saw Akiko standing there in her pink nightdress clutching a teddy bear to her small chest. He knelt down and looked at her slightly fearful expression before scooping her up in his arms and going back to bed. Moments later, Akiko was lying in bed between both adults, Sesshoumaru wrapped an arm around Rin and she smiled at him over Akiko's head. The child sighed happily and fell asleep, safe in the knowledge that her parents were watching over her.


	17. Chapter 17

**AN:** Perhaps a bit of a content warning for this chapter? I'm not sure =/

**Chapter 17**

Several weeks later, Rin and Sesshoumaru were sitting in the garden of Izayoi and Inutaisho's home with Kagome and Inuyasha. The children were playing nearby and the adults chatted happily and enjoyed the sun as they waited for lunch. Rin had noticed a bigger than usual smile on Kagome's face but had decided to ignore it until she eventually seemed so excited she would burst.

"We have news," she said with a grin from her seat beside Inuyasha.

"What's that dear?" Izayoi asked calmly as she poured more drinks for everyone.

"We're having another baby," Inuyasha announced.

There was a pause before Izayoi squealed in delight, rushing over to hug her son and daughter-in-law. Rin smiled and Sesshoumaru congratulated in his usual stoic manner. Once Izayoi had sat down, Inutaisho looked at Sesshoumaru and Rin for a moment before speaking over the excited chatter of his wife and Kagome.

"So when are you two going to give me another grandchild?" he asked with a lazy smile.

Rin blushed bright red and Inuyasha laughed. Kagome giggled at her embarrassed friend but couldn't help feeling sorry for her as she remembered the same question being asked of her and Inuyasha.

"That is not an appropriate question, father," Sesshoumaru said, his tone flat and his gaze emotionless.

"I think it is," Inutaisho responded. "We want as many grandchildren as possible, don't we Izayoi?"

"Of course we do," she said with a smile. "Grandparents like to spoil their grandchildren you know."

"That's certainly obvious by the way you spoil those two," Inuyasha said drily, nodding towards the two children.

The lunch progressed slowly with many references to children and each time, Rin would blush slightly as she thought of Inutaisho's question. She loved Akiko dearly, but she had always wanted a child of her own. Still, wasn't it much too early to start planning things like that? After all, she had only just discovered that this was not just a marriage of convenience to Sesshoumaru.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The next day at work, Sesshoumaru leaned back in his chair and sighed, looking out the window at the view of the city with a contemplative expression. He didn't hear his door open until his brother appeared in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"Thinking about the wife?" he asked with a grin.

"Unlike you, I can keep my mind on my work," Sesshoumaru said with a frown at Inuyasha. "Having said that, unlike you, I actually have a mind."

"No need to be rude," Inuyasha said, feigning to be hurt by his brother's words. "Anyway, have you given any thought to what father said yesterday?"

"Father said many things yesterday, what was I supposed to think about?"

"I see you're going to be difficult."

"You didn't specify what I had to think about."

"Having a child, Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha exclaimed in exasperation.

"Ah. That."

"Yes, that. Well?"

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "Rin and I have not discussed it."

"You haven't slept with her, have you?" Inuyasha asked with a grin.

"I don't believe that's any of your business."

"I'll take that as a yes. Come on, Sesh! You've been married for months now! I don't see how you manage to keep your hands off her anyway!"

"That's my wife you're talking about, Inuyasha."

"Well, you can't blame me for noticing," he said with a wink. "You can't tell me you've never noticed Kagome."

"I've never noticed Kagome. Now stop noticing my wife."

Inuyasha waved his hands in defence. "Fine. Just tell me why you haven't slept with her yet?"

"I still don't think it's any of your business."

"I'm not leaving until you tell me."

Sesshoumaru groaned softly. "Interruptions are the bane of my life."

"You two need time alone."

"We can't afford that luxury at the moment. We are both very busy."

Inuyasha shook his head and waved at his brother as he got to his feet. "You should still consider it. Would you not like a son?"

That said, Inuyasha left the room before Sesshoumaru could respond. Sitting still in his chair, Sesshoumaru considered it carefully. It was true that he cared for Rin a great deal and for Akiko as well, but would it not change everything if they were to have a child? Perhaps it would be a good idea to speak to Rin about this.

Later that evening, Rin sat at the small table in the living room with various books open in front of her. For once she brought her work home with her like Sesshoumaru did on a daily basis. Akiko had been in bed for over an hour and there was a pleasant silence about the house. Sesshoumaru emerged from the kitchen with coffee for them both and sat down on the sofa behind her after placing a mug beside her. He watched her back and the fluid movements of her hand as she wrote in the books.

"Rin," he said quietly.

"Mmm?"

"There is something I wish to discuss."

"What's that?" she asked, although her voice betrayed her preoccupation.

"What my father said yesterday. I hope it didn't upset you."

"Of course not, Sesshoumaru," she said and gave him a smile before turning back to her books. "It was just a hint; it's nothing we have to act upon immediately if we don't want to."

"Why did you adopt Akiko?" he asked suddenly.

"Because I wanted to share my life with someone."

"Surely taking on a child was going to be difficult if you ran your own business as well?"

"Of course it was difficult, but I'm not one to turn away from a challenge," she said, making him think of the words he had spoken on their wedding day.

"Why did you not find a man to share your life with?"

"There weren't any that interested me."

"Yet you are married to me."

"Mmm. You interested me, what can I say?" she said, giving him a crooked smile.

The words sunk into his head as he went silent for a moment. He had often wondered if there had been any other man trying to get her attention, but he had never thought she would simply turn them all away. In that moment, Sesshoumaru realised how truly lucky he was to have her in his life.

"You adopted Akiko only because you wanted to share your life with someone?"

"No, not only that."

"What else?"

Rin leaned back in her chair with a sigh and turned around to face him, her long legs crossed elegantly. She picked up her coffee and sipped it, looking at him thoughtfully over the rim of the mug.

"Because nobody interested me and I interested no one, I assumed I would not marry."

"And you wanted a child?"

"Every woman wants a child at some point in her life," Rin said with a smile.

"If you had been married, would you have adopted Akiko?"

"I may have done. She brought joy to my life and still does, only now I can share that joy with someone else," she said with an affectionate smile at him. "If the marriage had given me a child, then I probably wouldn't have adopted her. Adoption would probably not have even crossed my mind."

"Would you like a child, Rin?"

Her eyes widened slightly at his words. She sipped her coffee again and leaned her head back to look up at the ceiling as she contemplated the idea. Perhaps Inutaisho's words had affected Sesshoumaru and he hadn't wanted to admit it. She lifted her head and looked at him with a smile.

"I would."

Sesshoumaru put his coffee aside and got to his feet, walking towards her. He took her coffee from her and placed his hands on the arm rests of her chair, leaning towards her. Her eyes widened again, but she said nothing as he moved closer to her. He looked down at her full soft lips, suddenly desperate to feel them against his own, but held himself in check.

"Would you consider having my child?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

"I would," she repeated, calmly returning his gaze.

"You want a child, but do you want mine?"

"Of course, you're my husband," she said with a smile. "I wouldn't want anyone else's."

Sesshoumaru placed a kiss against the side of neck briefly before pulling away from her and resuming his seat on the sofa as though nothing had happened. She watched him thoughtfully and smiled again as she moved from her chair to sit beside him. He took her hands in his as he looked at her.

"Would you like a child, Sesshoumaru?" she asked, turning his own question on himself.

"Yes."

"What made you bring this up?" she asked curiously.

"I had words with Inuyasha today."

"He wants to be an uncle, does he?" she smiled.

"He already is."

Rin nodded and stared at him under her lashes as she felt confidence grow inside her. She watched him sip his coffee and put the now empty mug down on the table and smiled to herself. Grabbing his shoulders, she pulled herself towards him, swinging a leg over his thighs and straddling him, grinning wickedly at his slightly shocked expression. She entwined her fingers in his long hair and her smile grew as she felt his hands on her hips.

"So, when would you like to start having children?" she asked lustily, leaning forward to whisper the words in his ear.

"Right now," he responded, his voice deep with desire for her.

"So soon?" she asked, nipping his neck teasingly.

Sesshoumaru ran his hands up her sides and pulled her closer. "So soon," he repeated her words.

Rin smirked and sat back on his knees, her fingers playing with his hair while his hands rested on her waist. Slowly and very deliberately, she lifted a hand and traced his lips with a soft finger before pulling back completely, rising to her feet, turning away from him and flicking her long braid over her shoulder.

"Ah, that's a shame," she said smirking devilishly at him over her shoulder. "I just don't think I'm in the mood right now."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at her playful expression and growled softly before rising to his feet. Walking up to her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her up against him, her back to his front. She squeaked in surprise, but leaned her head back against his chest to look up at him from her diminutive height. He looked down at her with a lustful gaze and slowly leaned down to her neck. A soft moan escaped her lips and she turned her head away, giving him more access to the tender flesh. He smirked and splayed his hands over her stomach, pulling her closer as he continued to ravish her neck.

Slowly, the hands drifted from her stomach to settle on her hips and Rin felt butterflies in her stomach as one hand started to slip beneath the soft fabric of the shirt she had worn to work that day. The large hand slowly creeping up under her shirt found its final destination and cupped one of her lace clad breasts in a gentle hold. The hand began kneading it gently and she moaned once again, slightly louder. There was something unbelievably erotic about doing this in the middle of the living room with a child down the hall who could appear at any moment. Rin giggled to herself, she could never have imagined herself doing this in such an open place and with Sesshoumaru no less.

Rin was pulled from her thoughts as she found herself pulled round to look deep into his amber eyes as his lips descended on hers. As the kiss deepened, Rin felt herself being gently pushed backwards until her back met the cool surface of the nearest wall. She smirked and lifted her hands to wrap around his neck, pushing herself closer to him. Sesshoumaru returned the smirk and returned his hand to its previous place on her breast and slowly ran his other hand drifted down to her hip and then lower to run down her thigh, kept hidden from him by the smooth fabric of her skirt.

Soon the hand at her breast was trailing down her body and suddenly, Rin let out a gasp as she felt two strong hands hoist her up to wrap her slim legs around his lean waist. Now level with him, she grinned at him again and kissed him again, softly grinding her hips against him as she did so. Her grin grew when she heard his soft groan at her movements. Pulling back slightly, she moved her hands down from his shoulders and slowly loosened the tie at his neck, tossing it aside when it was undone. Sesshoumaru watched her through hazy eyes and bent to kiss her neck again as she slowly undid the buttons of his shirt, revealing his strong chest as she went.

"Don't start what you can't finish, Rin," he warned in a soft voice. He desperately wanted her, but feared yet another interruption.

"Who said I can't finish this?" she asked with a grin as she pulled his face up to kiss him again.

With a soft groan, Sesshoumaru tucked his hands under her legs to keep her in place and moved back to the sofa. He sat down heavily with Rin straddling him once again and slid his hands up her body towards her chest. She deepened the kiss as she felt long finger undoing the buttons of her blouse. Sesshoumaru pulled back after a while and took in the sight of Rin straddling him, her shirt hanging open and her hair tousled. He caught his breath and she smirked again, her hands slipping beneath his open shirt to caress his smooth skin. She looked him in the eye, smirk still in place as her hands drifted lower and ran along the edges of his trousers.

In retaliation, his hands drifted up her back to find the clasp of her strapless bra and waited for her next move. Her hands came to a stop on the buckle of his belt and slowly undid it as he undid the clasp of her bra and her voluptuous breasts were bared for him. Rin grinned, but slid her hands up his chest to tangle in his hair again, her breasts swaying tantalizingly in front of him as she did so. Both his hands came up to cup them and just as his mouth lowered slowly towards one of the rosy peaks, a sound stopped him in his tracks and made Rin freeze before she wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing her naked front against his.

"Mama?" Akiko said quietly from the doorway, looking as though she had just woken up.

"What is it?" Rin asked looking over the back of the sofa where she straddled her husband, desperately trying to keep her daughter from seeing her semi-clothed state.

"What're you doing to Papa?"

Rin blushed and Sesshoumaru smirked, deciding to use this distraction to his advantage. As Rin struggled to find an excuse for her daughter, Sesshoumaru let one of his hands drop from her chest and slide down to the hem of her skirt which had crept up considerably from their movements. He heard Rin gasp softly in his ear as she spoke to the child. The hand slid under her skirt and up her inner thigh slowly.

"Uh… Aki… what was it that you… uh… wanted?" Rin struggled to say as she felt Sesshoumaru's fingers drift closer to the edge of her underwear.

"I was thirsty."

"Oh. Well go back to bed and I'll… uh… bring you some water … in a minute, okay?"

"Okay, Mama. Good night, Papa."

"Good night, Akiko," Sesshoumaru said gruffly, his smirk in place as he watched Rin's expressions as he continued to tease her.

As soon as she heard the child's door shut behind her, Rin buried her face in Sesshoumaru's shoulder and moaned. Now grinning, Sesshoumaru pulled his hand back and wrapped both arms around her waist tightly. Rin pulled back after a moment and gave him a mock glare.

"That wasn't fair!" she declared with a pout.

"All's fair in love and war," Sesshoumaru recited as he pulled her down for a kiss.

She pulled away before they got too carried away again. "I better take her some water," she said as she reluctantly stood up and did the buttons on her shirt up again.

Sesshoumaru watched as she disappeared with the water and sighed. Was there no end to the interruptions? The first time had been a disappointment, the second time annoying but this was just too much. Surely he wouldn't have to wait until Akiko had grown up to have his way with her mother? The very thought made him frown and tipped his head back to look at the ceiling before closing his eyes with another sigh.

"You're not tired already, are you?" Rin asked, leaning against the door frame and watching him with a lusty gaze.

"Definitely not."

"Good."

She sauntered over to him and pressed a hard kiss against his lips before pulling away and walking towards the corridor, her hips swaying enticingly as she moved. Sesshoumaru watched her for a moment before rising and following her, turning off the light as he went, plunging the house into darkness. His sharp eyes found her waiting for him beside the door to their bedroom and he reached for her, pulling her roughly against him as he claimed her lips with his. Eagerly, she returned his kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck as he hoisted her legs up to his hips again.

Pushing through the door, he closed it and locked it, not once breaking the kiss. Slowly, Sesshoumaru made his way towards the bed, Rin's legs gripping his lean waist tightly as he lowered her to the bed. He pulled away from her lips to undo the buttons of her shirt again, leaving kisses in the wake of his fingers. She sighed happily and gladly shed the shirt as he slid his own off his shoulders. Her hands drifted once more to his trousers as he ravished her chest and neck. Slowly she undid the button and slid down the zipper before sliding her hands underneath the offending fabric to touch him.

Sesshoumaru groaned and buried his face in her neck as he felt her fingers caress him. He rolled onto his side and slid his hand down her back to the zipper of her skirt and pulled it down until she was clad in only her underwear. Rin pushed his trousers down as far as she could, loving the feeling of his near nakedness pressed against her. Now desperate to have her, Sesshoumaru slid down her underwear until she was naked and blushing beneath him.

As the clothing was discarded, Sesshoumaru felt something akin to awe as the realised what they were about to do. Having come this far, he knew that there was no turning back now and by the end of the night, Rin would be completely and irrevocably his. Looking down at her, she gave him one of her dazzling smiles as she wrapped her arms around him.

Seeing her smile, Sesshoumaru felt awed at how much he cherished this woman. He would he even go so far as to say how much he adored her. For once, he gave her a full smile, no smirks, just a pure happy smile. As he leaned down to kiss her luscious lips, he vowed he would make this night perfect for her.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Fortunately for both Sesshoumaru and Rin, it mattered very little anyone what time they arrived at work. However, it did matter what time Akiko arrived at school, but there was yet another blessing in their lives that day and it came in the form of Inuyasha. Reluctantly, Rin had dragged herself from her bed and Sesshoumaru to prepare Akiko for school. Dressed in her usual short bath robe, she was making the child's lunch when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Rin! It's Inuyasha."

"This is a surprise," she said with a smile.

"Yeah well, I wanted to know if Akiko needed a lift to school?"

Rin's eyes widened. "You're an angel, Inuyasha! I'm running a bit late this morning, do you mind?"

"Not at all. I'll be round soon to pick her up."

Rin put the phone down and turned to her daughter who was just starting her breakfast. Akiko looked up and smiled at her mother.

"Aki, Inuyasha's going to take you to school today," Rin said with a smile.

"Really?" Aki said with a grin.

"Yes. Are you ready? They'll be here soon."

The child nodded. "Can I say good bye to Papa?"

"Sure, he's in the bedroom."

The little girl jumped off her chair and hurried through the house until she came to her parents' bedroom. She stopped and looked up at the door for a moment before knocking softly and pushing it open. The room was dark and it took her a moment to adjust to the lack of light, but when she did, she saw the frame of Sesshoumaru lying on his back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"Papa!" she exclaimed and ran towards him with a grin.

Sesshoumaru turned to look at the little girl who had clambered up onto the bed and was kneeling beside him. She grinned at him and he couldn't help but smile as he ruffled her hair affectionately. He still couldn't get used to being called that.

"Uncle Inuyasha is going to take me to school today!" she said excitedly.

"Is he?"

"Yeah! He'll be here soon!"

"You should go and get ready then."

"Bye Papa!" she said after giving him a hug.

There was a knock on the door and Akiko ran to open it being launching herself at the man on the other side. Rin smiled and walked up to the door carrying her bag and lunch.

"Be careful not to knock him over, Akiko," she said fondly.

"She couldn't knock me over if she tried," Inuyasha said and ruffled the child's hair. "You weren't lying when you said you were running behind," he winked at Rin.

She blushed as she looked down at her attire. "I can't really drop her off dressed like this, can I?"

"I suppose not, although I'm sure some of the fathers wouldn't complain."

"Have you got a busy day ahead?" Rin asked, desperate to change the topic.

Inuyasha shrugged. "Kagome's off for her first scan after I drop the kids off." Rin smiled at that. "Speaking of kids actually, you two better have a kid. I want a nephew you know?"

That said, Inuyasha took Akiko's bag from her and left Rin laughing in the doorway as he led the child to the car. Closing the door, Rin sighed and walked back to the bedroom where she found Sesshoumaru lying in the exact same position she had left him in before she got up. Smiling, she walked over to the window and pulled the curtains back, flooding the room with light.

"Too bright," Sesshoumaru hissed and shielded his eyes.

"That's too bad," Rin said with the same smirk as she stood at the bottom of the bed with her hands on her hips. "It's time to get up; you'll be late for work."

"So will you."

Rin laughed and gave him one of her smiles before stretching massively. Sesshoumaru slid down the bed to where she stood and pulled her forwards to stand between his legs as he looked up at her. It was the only time she was taller than him, he mused. She put her hands on his shoulders to keep her balance until he pulled her down to sit on his knee, his arms wrapped tightly around her.

"We need to get dressed," she said with a giggle as he nuzzled her neck affectionately. "We'll be late!"

"I don't care."

Rin laughed again and gave in to him, letting him kiss her neck softly before eventually pushing him away. She gave him a smile before disappearing into the bathroom, returning 10 minutes later wrapped in a towel. Sesshoumaru had returned to his reclining position and sighed as he watched her wander across the room to get her clothes.

"What's the matter?" she asked with a slight frown as she looked round her wardrobe door at him.

"I wish you worked closer to me."

She giggled and disappeared again only to emerge fully dressed. She walked over to the bed and kissed him gently. "If I could take you to work with me, I would," she giggled again.

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened and he sat up abruptly, surprising her. He gripped her arms gently as an idea started to form in his mind. Looking up at her, he almost smiled.

"Do you mean that?" he asked.

"Of course I do," she smiled. "I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."

"Come to work with me today."

"What?" she asked, confused.

"Come to work with me today, there's an idea I want to run by you."

"Could you not do it at home?"

"No."

She sighed and smiled at him. "Fine, I'll come with you. I have to call Hitomi first though."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Rin looked apprehensively up at the massive building Sesshoumaru worked in as they pulled up in the car park. She turned to look at him and had to admit, he was handsome in his suit but she liked him a lot better the way he was the night before. He caught her eyes as they walked towards the reception and tilted his head in silent question.

"Something wrong?"

She shook her head. "I was just thinking," she said with a smirk.

Sesshoumaru shook his head at her but gave her a small smile as he took her hand in his before they went inside. They arrived at his office 5 minutes later and he stepped outside to talk to his secretary about something before coming in and sitting in his chair. Rin walked over to where he sat and looked at the view of the city before looking at him.

"What was it you wanted to tell me?" she asked curiously.

"You have to wait till Inuyasha comes to find out," he said with a smirk and pulled her down onto his lap.

"Am I interrupting something?" a voice said from the doorway.

Rin turned to see Inuyasha standing in the doorway with a smirk. "How did it go?"

"It was fine, perfectly healthy," he said with a grin. Noticing his brother's confusion he decided to enlighten him. "Kagome had her first scan this morning."

"I see."

"What did you want to see me about, Sesh? It's not often you call me wanting to see me."

"Actually, I've got an idea to run past both of you," he said, straightening in his sseat, but keeping tight hold of Rin.

Inuyasha looked at Rin who appeared as oblivious as he was before taking a seat opposite the pair with a shrug. There was silence for a moment and he took that time to look closely at the pair. They made a good couple, complementing each other well. Not to mention Rin looked stunning in her work outfit, not that he would ever admit that lest he suffer the wrath of his own wife. He smirked to himself at the thought of her shouting at him.

"Inuyasha," came Sesshoumaru's calm, expressionless voice.

"What?"

"Stop noticing."

Rin looked baffled, but Inuyasha started laughing. Apparently their conversation had not been forgotten.

"I wasn't. I was thinking."

Sesshoumaru frowned. "That's even worse than noticing. Cease both."

"But you're always tell me to think about my actions more," Inuyasha teased.

"You may wish to lest you suffer Kagome's wrath," Sesshoumaru responded, almost as though he had known what his brother had been thinking.

"Fine, fine. What's this idea?"

Nudging Rin, Sesshoumaru got up and went over to his filing cabinet to pull out a large sheet of paper. He spread it out on his desk and beckoned them over. Wrapping an arm around Rin when she came close.

"It's the plan for this building," Inuyasha said in confusion. "What does this have to do with anything?"

Sesshoumaru searched his drawers until he found a pencil and began making marks on the paper, not answering Inuyasha's question.

"These marks here," he said, pointing at the marks he had made. "They are rooms on the ground floor of this building. They're all empty and not used. I think it's high time we started using them for something."

"Like what?" Rin asked. "What does this have to do with me?"

"You'll see," Sesshoumaru said tapping her on the nose affectionately. "This is a fairly popular company…"

"Fairly popular is an understatement," Inuyasha remarked drily and Rin agreed.

"Alright, it's a popular company. Therefore we get lots of clients coming in. We need to make them comfortable in the waiting area. As it is now, there is limited seating and little to occupy someone with."

"So you want to put something in for people to do if they have to wait?" Inuyasha asked, beginning to catch on to the idea.

"Exactly."

"So what did you have in mind?"

Leaning forward, Sesshoumaru sketched some details in on several rooms and making markings where walls would be.

"For a start, a restaurant is always a good idea. Not to mention if it has decent food, staff can get their meals from there too. Double the benefits."

Rin walked around the table to get a better view of the details he had sketched onto the paper. Not being as tall as the two men, she couldn't stretch over the table. Now standing opposite Sesshoumaru, she leaned forward to examine the sketches, unintentionally giving him a tantalizing view of her cleavage beneath her blouse.

"So you're thinking of putting the restaurant here?" she asked, pointing at two rooms.

"Yes. They are the biggest."

"Hmm," she thought aloud. She picked up a pencil and erased some of the lines, putting new ones in. "If you knock this wall through you'll get a larger space, but you won't be able to extend it the other way because that's a supporting wall," she said and pointed at the various lines she made. "You could probably extend backwards, the space behind those rooms would serve as a storage area, but a restaurant doesn't need that much space."

"How do you know that?" Inuyasha asked in surprise.

Rin grinned. "I have a degree in architecture."

"I thought it was floristry?" Sesshoumaru asked, a frown settling on his brow.

"Both," she said simply. "It was a joint degree."

For the next hour or so, Rin sat with the two men and made helped put Sesshoumaru's plan into reality, on paper at least. Once she was finished, she sighed happily and put the pencil down before turning to look at Sesshoumaru.

"That was fun and all, but I still don't know what it has to do with me."

"Do you own the building where your florist is currently situated?" Sesshoumaru asked, now fully in his business mode.

"Of course," she replied, baffled.

"How much do you earn per year?"

"Enough to cover the bills and also make a profit on what we spend importing plants, why?"

"Have you ever thought of expanding your business?"

"Not really," she confessed. "I've never had the opportunity to."

"I'm giving you an opportunity."

"What?"

Sesshoumaru pointed a room on the ground floor he hadn't marked. "That room. It is big enough for a florist, is it not?"

"More than big enough," she said slowly as she looked at the scale of the drawing and compared it to her current shop. Her eyes widened as she realised what he was saying.

"You want a florist? Here?"

Sesshoumaru nodded.

"That's not a bad idea," Inuyasha said thoughtfully. "The women here are big on flowers. My secretary keeps bringing horrid flowers into my office. It wouldn't be so bad if they were decently arranged."

"But what about the one I've already got?" she asked.

"Keep that and double the profit," Sesshoumaru said with a shrug.

"How could I double the profit?" she frowned.

"You're a member of the Takahashi family," Inuyasha said. "You wouldn't have to pay rent or anything for the shop and because this company holds shares in the energy companies, we get discounts on our bills."

Rin's eyes widened. "Really? It's that simple?"

"It's that simple," Sesshoumaru confirmed. "Will you agree?"

"How could I not?" She smiled at them.

"Brilliant! I'll go run the ideas past father and get back to you," Inuyasha said as he picked up the papers. "Anything else before I go?"

Sesshoumaru wrapped his arms around Rin and nuzzled her neck, smirking at his brother. "Not unless you intend to stay while I ravish my wife."

Inuyasha paled as unwanted imagery flew through his head and hastily left the pair alone. Rin blushed but giggled as she looked up at him. Shaking her head at him, she leaned up to place a kiss on his cheek.

"I'll have to run this idea past Hitomi," Rin said, pulling away from him and shrugging on her jacket.

Sesshoumaru leaned against the edge of his desk and smirked as he watched her. Eventually he stood up and walked over to her.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked gruffly.

"To work," she said. "I've got a lot to do now."

"You're not going yet."

"Was there something else you wanted to discuss?" she asked, looking up at him.

"No."

"Then what is it?"

"You're not leaving until I've ravished you," he said and began advancing on her.

"You weren't joking?"

"I wasn't joking," he said and pushed her down into his leather chair.

"Sesshoumaru, not here," she murmured as he leaned down towards her.

"Yes, here."

Rin moaned softly in protest but soon gave in to pleasure of his kisses again, not caring that it was the middle of the day and his office. Not caring that his secretary could walk in at any moment. She gave herself up entirely to the pleasure of his touch. As she moaned her delight, she knew that he would love this man eternally.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Over the next few weeks, the two Takahashi sons and Rin worked hard to make their project a reality. Inutaisho had given them his blessing, approving of the idea immediately. The reception area had been closed while builders came in to modify the rooms and although, the company had lost money during that time, they were determined to make up the losses when they reopened. Finally, the day came when the project drew to a close and the building was due to reopen. Rin smiled up at Sesshoumaru as they stood with Inuyasha in the new reception area. Everything had changed and it looked spectacular once all Rin's flower arrangements had been put in place. Between herself and Hitomi, they had worked to created masterpieces to place in the new shop.

"Tomorrow's the open day," Inuyasha said softly, looking around in awe.

"Indeed, it seems that father has arranged for the media to be here," Sesshoumaru grimaced.

"You will be opening it with us, won't you Rin?" the younger brother asked.

"M-Me?"

Sesshoumaru nodded. "You were part of the project, you should be with us to open it."

Rin nodded meekly and followed the brothers out the building and to the cars. After receiving a brief hug from Inuyasha, she found herself bundled into the car and driven home by Sesshoumaru. She smirked to herself as she realised what was likely to happen that night after Akiko had gone to bed and found herself wondering where his stamina came from. Since that night all those weeks ago, she had discovered that Sesshoumaru's lust for her was insatiable. She had to grin at the thought of one man desiring her so much when she had always considered herself rather plain.

"What kind of day will it be tomorrow?" she wondered aloud.

"A formal event," Sesshoumaru replied with a frown.

"Hmm… I'll need a dress then."

"Don't you already have one?"

"It's an excuse to buy a new one," she said with a grin.

"Do you want to go now?"

"No, later. Akiko will probably want to come."

Nodding, Sesshoumaru pulled into the driveway and waited for Rin as they walked up to the front door. He stood behind her, arms wrapped around her waist as she opened the door and walked inside. He pressed a kiss on her shoulder as he walked past her to his study.

"I'm going to do some work, I'll see you later," he said and started walking down the corridor.

"Wait," she said and walked up to him and leaned up to kiss him lips.

With a sigh of contentment, Sesshoumaru leaned down and wrapped his arms around her. Stepping back slightly, she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him in place as she listened to the steady beat of his heart. Slowly, his hands ran up and down her back as he laid his head against hers.

"Rin?"

"Mmm?"

"Do you still want a child?"

"Of course I do," she smiled up at him. "Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering if you had changed your mind."

"No. I wouldn't change my mind."

After about an hour of spending time together, Rin left to fetch Akiko and go shopping for a dress, leaving Sesshoumaru alone with his thoughts. He would never have thought that he wanted a child. He never would have thought that he would get married, let alone want a family. Smirking to himself, he was glad that Rin shared his desire and he was suddenly impatient to have a family of his own.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The next day dawned bright but with a chill in the air. Sesshoumaru had volunteered to take Akiko to school so that Rin could have more time to prepare. Knowing she had at least an hour alone, she sat in the bathroom after her shower staring at the small stick between her fingers. Her breath ragged as she waited impatiently for the result. It had been two weeks since she first suspected it, but had been afraid to take the test lest it prove her wrong. She had not voiced her thoughts to Sesshoumaru, afraid to get his hopes up, but know she was more or less convinced.

With a sigh, she stood up and decided to get dressed instead of staring at the small stick. Shedding her bath robe, she slipped into her black dress making sure that the red underskirts were straight. Standing in front of the mirror, she turned a full circle and smiled as the hint of red beneath was a startling contrast to the black dress. Once she had strapped the stilettos to her feet, she brushed her long hair and went back into the bathroom to find the result.

As she picked the stick, her eyes widened and she sank down onto the edge of the bath. A smile spread across her face as she stood up and placed the stick in a small clear plastic bag. Hearing Sesshoumaru returning, she walked out quickly and put the bag into her hand bag before hurrying down the corridor to where he waited for her. His eyes widened as they took in her appearance and he smiled at her as she came close.

"Are you ready?" he asked, his tone gentle as he took her hands in his.

She nodded. "Ready."

Sesshoumaru led the way to the car and opened the door for her, still awed by her appearance. She always managed to take his breath away. Rin smiled to herself as she noted his attentiveness to her and she couldn't wait to see his face when she told him her news. They arrived at the building and stepped out of the car, watching the smartly dressed people wandering around.

Soon, Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru and Rin were standing in front of the new building about to officially open the building again. Once the building was opened, photographers demanded photographs for various magazines and newspapers. Rin found herself standing between the two Takahashi brothers as cameras flashed all around them. She noticed Kagome, Izayoi and Inutaisho standing nearby and as soon as she was able, she went over to them only to be met with hugs and smiles. Eventually, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha joined the group, each standing protectively beside their wife, almost daring any other male to approach them. As she felt her husband's hand wrap around her side and splay across her stomach, she smiled happily and leaned back against his broad chest.

"I'm taking Kagome home now," Inuyasha said as he pecked his wife on the cheek in a rare display of affection.

"Izayoi and I have a lunch appointment," Inutaisho nodded. "What will you two do?"

"We'll go home," Rin said before Sesshoumaru could respond.

"I was going to ask if you don't mind Aki spending the night at ours tonight?" Kagome said, suddenly remembering the conversation she'd had with her son earlier.

"Of course not. I'm sure she'll enjoy herself," Rin smiled at her friend.

When they finalized the details, Rin followed Sesshoumaru to the car, hand in hand. When they got out of earshot, Sesshoumaru pulled her to a stop and looked at her with a frown, his hands on her shoulders.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concern etched across his face.

"I'm fine," she said with a smile. "Why?"

"You look tired."

"I am a bit."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Let's get you home."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

When they got home, Rin sank down onto the sofa, pulling her shoes off as she did so. She sighed and smiled at her husband as he sat beside her, pulling her into a tender hug as he did so. She was slightly glad that Kagome had volunteered to take Akiko for the night; she didn't want to have to explain things twice in one night.

"Sesshoumaru," she said quietly, her eyes still closed.

"What is it?"

She sat up suddenly, causing him to look at her in surprise. Rising to her feet, Rin walked across the room to her bag and picked it up, not noticing Sesshoumaru following her with a look of concern. She looked up in surprise when she nearly walked into his chest, but smiled brightly at him.

"What's the matter?" he asked again, now beginning to worry about her strange behaviour.

Rin said nothing but reached into her bag, pulling a small plastic bag out and handing it to him. Sesshoumaru looked from her to the bag and back again before turning it over in his hands and taking a closer look at it. His eyes widened slightly when he realised what it was and sent her a questioning glance. She gave him a small smile and waited patiently for his reaction. After what seemed like ages, he turned it over and looked at it carefully. Had he been a lesser man, his jaw would have dropped in surprise, but he merely stared at it, as if unable to comprehend what he was seeing.

"Is this…" he paused, stumbling over his words for the first time in his life. "Is this true?"

"It is," she was silent for a moment, her smile disappearing before she looked up at him. "Are you happy?"

Sesshoumaru stared at her as though she had lost her mind. In the space of a single minute, the stick was dropped to the floor and he had taken Rin in his arms, holding her in a tender embrace. She felt tears forming in her eyes and pressed herself closer.

"You've made me the happiest man on earth," he whispered in her ear as he pulled her closer.

He released her after he had collected himself and pulled her over to the sofa where he sat down, sitting her beside him, her legs over his own. She leaned against his shoulder and sighed happily. Rin smiled as she watched his hand move and settle on her stomach. She relished the feeling as he caressed it gently and stared at it with something that looked like amazement.

"It's hard to imagine," he said quietly. "… that our child is growing there."

"I'm glad you're happy," Rin said, relief washing over her. For a moment she had wondered if he would react badly.

He kissed her forehead, resting his own against hers as he stared into her brown eyes. "I love you," he admitted quietly, a look of embarrassment passing over his eyes quickly before he masked it.

Rin stared at him for a moment before wrapping her arms around him. "I love you too."

The pair sat in content silence with Rin giggling occasionally as Sesshoumaru's gaze was once again drawn back to her stomach. She had had no idea being a parent meant this much to him. As she sat with him, she knew that the most enjoyable part of her marriage so far was about to begin and she couldn't help but smile.

"You will have to behave yourself now," Rin teased him, knowing he would understand exactly what she meant.

He smirked at her. "Not yet I won't. I intend to show you just how much I love you at every chance I get."

She smiled at him, still doubting her hearing as she heard the words. It was unlike him to say such things although she wasn't complaining since she had waited so long to hear them.

"Hmm… is that so?" she grinned at him.

"It is."

He picked her up and carried her down the corridor to the bedroom where he laid her gently on the bed before stretching out beside her, his hand rubbing her stomach gently. He couldn't seem to keep his hands off her and she grinned at him before pulling him down for a kiss.

"I will make you happy, Rin," he promised suddenly as he broke the kiss. "I may not be vocal about my feelings for you, but know that they are always there."

Rin had given him the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. As they sat there taking of their future, the family that had once been three but was now four, had no idea of the hardships fate had in store for them. Only time would tell whether they were strong enough to withstand what lay ahead.


End file.
